Brazil launches app for online domestic violence reports

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The Human Rights Ministry launched a smartphone app this week to receive reports of domestic violence. Until this week, the only way to report such crimes without going to a precinct was via a telephone hotline. The Brazilian Report showed that Rio de Janeiro state has seen a 50-percent increase in cases of violence against women since the beginning of the pandemic. In São Paulo, requests for restraining orders motivated by domestic violence increased 29 percent, and arrests of criminals caught in the act rose 51 percent in March.

Another measure adopted to combat domestic violence consists of a partnership between the Human Rights Ministry and the National Council of Prosecution Services (CNMP). Complaints received by the National Human Rights Ombudsman will be forwarded to the CNMP, including information on the location, severity, and the form of human rights violation in question. Since the start of the pandemic, complaints have exceeded 7,500.

Brenno Grillo

Brenno has worked as a journalist since 2012, specializing in coverage related to law and the justice system. He has worked for O Estado de S. Paulo, Portal Brasil, ConJur, and has experience in political campaigns.