Amnesty Accuses Brazil of Abusing Minors and Women in Its Prisons

Brazil penitentiary According to Tim Cahill, Amnesty International's researcher on Brazil, Brazilian women are the hidden victims of a crumbling detention system that exposes them to rape and other ill treatment.

The statement came as reports emerged of the case of a young woman in the Brazilian northern state of Pará who was left in a police cell with 20 men for a month and repeatedly sexually abused.

"We receive extensive reports of women in detention who suffer sexual abuse, torture, substandard healthcare and inhuman conditions, showing that this case is far from isolated but continues to be hidden from the public," said Tim Cahill.

Even though women in Brazil make up a small percentage of the overall prison population, their numbers in detention are rising. There is a desperate need for the Government to address their needs, which are rarely if ever met.

The case also highlights concerns around the treatment of juveniles illegally held with adults around Brazil.

"At a time when some authorities and the media are consistently calling for a reduction of the age of criminal responsibility, this case shows how far Brazil is from ensuring the necessary minimum protections for its youth," said Cahill.

While Amnesty International recognizes that the federal and state authorities have responded rapidly to this case, many others go unreported or uninvestigated. It is essential that the authorities act in all such cases – not only those which receive extensive national and international media coverage.

The international organization said that it is calling on State Governor Ana Julia Carepa and on the federal authorities to investigate the allegations and bring those responsible to justice, ensuring that the victim and her family receive effective protection.

It also asks for a urgent review of the whole of the detention system to ensure women are not exposed to human rights abuses and that juveniles are not illegally held with adults.

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazilian Supermarkets Say High Interests Are Hurting Sales

Sales in Brazilian supermarkets were down 0.64% in May, compared to April, according to ...

Brazilian Shaman Urges World to Sign Indian Rights Law

Davi Kopenawa, a Yanomami shaman from the Brazilian Amazon, dubbed "the Dalai Lama of ...

Low Inflation and High Surplus Warms Up Brazilian Market

Latin American stocks regained some of the ground lost last Friday, when new developments ...

Brazil’s Golden Chainsaw Award Has Winner. Lula Is Runner Up.

Mato Grosso’s governor, Blairo Maggi,  has won Greenpeace’s Golden Chainsaw award for the Brazilian ...

Only Huge Mass Mobilizations Will Bring Change, Says Brazil’s Landless Leader

The main leader of Brazil’s Movement of Landless Rural Workers (MST), João Pedro Stédile, ...

Brazil Ambassador Deplores Lack of International Help to Haiti

“There has been a reduction in crime in certain spots where the population was ...

Brazil Takes the Biodiesel Route

When German engineer Rudolf Diesel took the first diesel engine to the world fair ...

Meet the Inventor of Brazil

Brazilianness was commonly understood to mean that collection of qualities which defined the nation, ...

Brazil Has 6 Confirmed and 30 Suspected Cases of Swine Flu

With two more cases of swine flu confirmed this Friday, May 8, Brazil now ...

Brazilian Movie Has Simultaneous Premií¨re in Theaters and Internet

A Brazilian feature film, Cafuné (Caress), has been simultaneously released both in the cinemas ...