Moro wants to 'increase' the use of ankle monitors to curb domestic violence.

Paula Laboissière, reporter for Agência Brasil - The Minister of Justice and Public Security, Sergio Moro, and the Minister of Women, Family and Human Rights, Damares Alves, signed today (8) a technical cooperation agreement to combat domestic violence in Brazil. The federal government's proposal, according to Moro, is to "increase" the use of electronic ankle bracelets and other types of devices – such as the so-called panic button which, when activated, sends a message with the person's location to security agents.

"Domestic violence, needless to say, everyone knows, is a major problem. It's an act of cowardice and it has to be curbed. One way to curb this is through technological mechanisms. We already have them in Brazil, but their use needs to be more widespread," he highlighted, citing the drop in the percentage of ankle monitor use in Brazil between 2016 and 2017.

According to the minister, of the approximately 51 electronic ankle bracelets available in the country, only 2,83% are being used to combat this type of crime. "The ankle bracelets already exist, but they are being used more frequently in other situations than to prevent domestic violence."

Asked whether new ankle monitors would be purchased or if those used in other crimes would be redirected to combat domestic violence, Moro said that "all hypotheses are possible."

Ligue 180
The ministries now have 30 days to sign a work plan that will detail goals, a timeline, and the responsibilities of each agency and partner institutions. The Ministry of Justice and Public Security must begin data collection within 15 days of the document's publication. The technical cooperation agreement will last for 24 months.

Data from the Ligue 180 (Women's Helpline) released during the signing of the agreement reveals that 17.836 complaints were registered up to the 26th of last month – an increase of approximately 36% compared to the same period last year. According to the federal government, these numbers relate to cases such as false imprisonment, femicide, forced labor, trafficking of women, and physical, moral, obstetric, and sexual violence.

"Unfortunately, in this nation, the numbers still frighten us," said Damares, when presenting the report. "Regarding violence against women, we are shocked every time we conduct a survey," she added, stating that it is necessary to make progress in combating domestic violence.

Campaign
Following the assessment, the minister launched the "Save a Woman" campaign, aimed at professionals such as hairdressers, manicurists, makeup artists, and others capable of identifying signs of violence against women. According to her, the idea is to confront violence against women through actions that raise awareness of everyone's responsibility – especially professionals who work with women every day, such as in the beauty industry.

"They will be able to guide their clients, considering this relationship which is often based on trust. All cases of abuse should be reported," Damares concluded.