Among the actions indicated by the UN to contain attacks against women, in this year’s report, is the rapid response of the Ministry of Justice. Brazil fares poorly in this regard.
According to a report by the G1 portal based on the Judicial Branch Statistical Data Panel, prepared by the National Council of Justice, the average time during which domestic violence cases are tried in the country is 429 days (approximately one year and two months).
Regarding feminicides, the time limit is shorter, but still scandalous: 263 days, or almost nine months. We know that the slowness of Brazilian justice is structural, but that does not justify the absence of faster responses.
The backlog of cases is also surprising: 1.3 million domestic violence cases and around 14,000 femicide cases are still awaiting conclusion – those involving the second type of crime move faster when the accused manages to be arrested.
To be contained, violence against women requires specialized police stations and courts, protective measures, computerization of processes, continuous monitoring of statistics, integrated actions between education, health and justice, psychological and social support, in addition to awareness campaigns aimed at the general population and, in particular, the male population.
The legal progress of cases is slow, while the number of incidents increases each year.
In the city of São Paulo, until October this year, the highest number of feminicides (53) in the historic series, which began in 2016, was recorded a year after Brazilian legislation classified the crime.
National data follows the same trend. According to the Brazilian Public Security Directory, there were 1,459 victims in 2024, an increase of 1.2% compared to the previous year and also a record for the series started in 2016.
The justice system here is one of the most expensive in the world, but it does not guarantee access to justice. The country’s budgetary rigidity makes it difficult to rationally allocate resources, prioritizing personnel and social security expenses to the detriment of investments in innovative and effective programs.
The CNJ updates each year the objectives to be achieved by the judiciary. For 2026, it establishes that the state justice system must judge, by the end of the year, 75% of femicide cases and 90% of domestic violence cases distributed by the end of 2024.
But the objectives must be concrete. To achieve this, cross-cutting actions by the courts and federal and state governments are necessary. Only the punishment provided for by law does not protect women.
editorials@grupofolha.com.br
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