On August 7, 2006, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) authorized the María da Peña Law, which increased penalties for crimes of domestic violence against women in Brazil. According to Regional Police Chief Juliana Cynthia de Souza Tridapalli, responsible for the 3rd DRP (Regional Police Station) in Blumenau, in the Itajai Valley, more than 17 years later, significant progress has been made on this issue.

In an interview, a delegate from Blumenau reveals the numbers and talks about the national operation to combat violence against women – Photo: Disclosure/Câmara de Vereadores de Blumenau/Reproduction/ND

In the middle of the month dedicated to the anniversary of the law of Maria da Peña, the Portal NA+ interviewed the current Regional Delegate Blumenau, the first woman to hold the post. Since January of this year, she has been the head of the Blumenau regional police department, which serves 12 other cities in the region.

A BA in Law from FURB (Regional University of Blumenau), Juliana has been Chief of Police since 2010 and has an active presence in the city’s DPCAMI (Delegation for the Protection of Children, Adolescents, Women and the Elderly). In an interview, she summed up the work done.

Juliana took over the regional command of the civil police of Blumenau in January of this year – Photo: Reproduction / ND

“The number of BOs (Boletins de Occurrence) in cases of violence against women has been very similar (in recent years). Today, since the beginning of the pandemic, people are much more likely to report incidents virtually. The number of face-to-face recordings at the police station has been significantly reduced,” said the delegate.

A disturbing fact that draws attention is the number of requests for the application of protective measures, which increased between 2016 and 2021. Under current law, anyone can request a safeguard measure through formal registration.

If permitted by justice, the aggressor is prohibited from approaching or maintaining contact with the victim, family members and witnesses of the aggression. In case of non-compliance, the object of the protective measure may be arrested.

The data provided by the delegate shows the change in the number of protective measures needed in the Blumenau DRP area over the past few years:

• 2016: 70;
• 2017: 130;
• 2018: 315;
• 2019: 467;
• 2020: 540;
• 2021: 929;
• 2022: 915.

In 2023, from January 1 to August 21, 590 protective measures were requested in the Blumenau region. There were 588 in 2022 during the same period. The delegate points out that there is a clear reason for the significant increase in requests for protective measures for women.

“I believe that the number of cases of violence is not increasing, I believe that, in my opinion, the number of women who learn about the situation of violence and condemn it is increasing,” he believes.

Support structures for women victims of violence in Blumenau

Today, Blumenau has two Lilac Rooms: one at the headquarters of the DPCAMI (Delegation for the Protection of Children, Adolescents, Women and the Elderly) in the Victor Conder district, and the other at the headquarters of the Regional Police Center on Rua. September 2, in the Itupava region, north.

There is a purple room in the Blumenau police center – Rodrigo Vieira/NDTV

Dpcami has a purple room in Blumenau – Arquivo/Disclosure/Google Street View/ND

The new facilities were opened several years ago and are designed to provide women with a more comfortable environment to give their testimonies in a more confidential manner. “No woman who is a victim of violence is left unattended in our police stations,” she said.

Peña also already has a Lilac Room to help victims of domestic violence – Photo: Civil Police/Disclosure/ND

Another place where women who have been victims of violence can seek help is Abrigo Casa Eliza, in partnership with the municipal social assistance service, which has psychologists and social workers who provide assistance to the community. The shelter, based in Blumenau for almost 20 years, allows a woman to stay there accompanied by children up to 18 years of age.

“The law provides guarantees”

As for the anniversary of the María da Peña Law, named after a Ceara pharmacist who was assassinated twice by her ex-husband in the 1980s, Juliana Tridapalli notes that much has changed in the legislation itself on this issue.

At the time the Act was passed, the crime of feminicide did not yet exist. According to the delegate, cybercrime, such as harassment, abuse and harassment of women by former partners over the Internet, is also common and needs to be addressed.

“The Maria da Peña law provides guarantees for women who are victims of violence because we live in a sexist country. Men and women are equal in rights and duties. But in this particular case, the woman needs more protection because she is a victim of violence in her own home, where she should have protection,” he says.

Having experience in dealing with cases of domestic violence, the specialist says that often when a complaint about violence and a request for protection measures is received, the victim says that she has been experiencing this situation for many years.

Some time ago there was a factor where women preferred not to disclose cases of violence due to financial dependence on their husbands, but now the situation is changing. Juliana reminds that it is better to report aggression immediately, and reports can be submitted anonymously by calling 181 or the official website of the Civil Police.

“It is very important that women seek help, because it is still very common to hear many women turning to us saying: “I am tired.” (…) In addition to financial dependence, a woman also has an emotional dependence on the aggressor. In many cases, it is the woman who works, picks up the children from school, cooks dinner, cleans the house, and provides for the husband. Often, even in this case, she cannot put an end to the relationship. So, in addition to financial dependence, emotional dependence is very strong, ”he repeats.

Operation Shamar

Last Monday (21) Operation Shamar was launched across Brazil to combat domestic violence and the killing of women. The initiative comes from the MJSP (Ministry of Justice and Public Security), and in Santa Catarina it is coordinated by the SSP-SC (Secretary of State for Public Security) with the participation of all security forces.

Operation Shamar is coordinated by the SSP-SC with the support of the security authorities – Photo: RICARDO WOLLFENBÜTTEL/SECOM/ND

In Hebrew, Shamar means: to take care of, protect, protect, look after, look after. Among the actions are intelligence, preventive, educational, demonstration and repressive activities between various security forces in the midst of Purple August.

This also includes assisting victims of violence, reviewing court warrants for specific cases of crimes of domestic and family violence against women, and enforcing arrest warrants.

In addition, police procedures will be included, police procedures will be introduced and priority will be given to the examination of victims of violence.

Preventive visits to women with the use of protective measures and monitoring of compliance with these measures by the aggressors, information and educational lectures with the aggressors, educational campaigns, information dissemination campaigns and others are also planned.

“Operation Shamar is committed to conducting operations, working to end domestic and family violence in our state, violence against women, and cases of femicide,” concludes Juliana Tridapalli.