Brazil’s top court beefs up protections for women against violent men

Brazil's Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Wednesday to significantly expand the scope of the country's landmark Maria da Penha law, which protects women from violence. The law, first enacted in 2006, had previously only applied to domestic incidents. The court's decision now extends the law to address violence occurring outdoors, as well as cases involving persecution, threats, and harassment outside of the home.

Justice Carmen Lúcia, the only female member of the court on Wednesday, stated that violence against women has increased in Brazil despite the existence of the Maria da Penha law. Lúcia emphasized that the law needs to be updated because violence against women in Brazil is also a matter of power, as femicides often occur outside of women's homes in situations that are reported to police but ignored.

Lúcia criticized judges for often rejecting accusations against men without justification, labeling them as not urgent and pushing the cases to the next Monday. She lamented that, in real life, one of these women is dying every day. The Supreme Court's ruling, according to Lúcia, demonstrates that the court is not blind or deaf to the violence against women.