Amazonas authorities investigate gang rape of 15-year-old Indigenous girl

Five men, aged between 22 and 50, are accused of the gang rape of a 15-year-old Indigenous girl in the Catitu community, located in the rural area of Itamarati, Amazonas. The crime, which occurred in September, was recorded and subsequently shared via WhatsApp groups, with the footage circulating in other Brazilian cities including Rio de Janeiro and Brasília.

Two suspects have been arrested, while three others remain at large. In the recordings, the perpetrators reportedly referred to the sexual violence as a form of “cobrança” (collection or retribution), though investigators have not yet clarified the specific motivation behind this term.

The Amazonas State Court (TJAM) has classified the case under several statutes, including rape, personal favoritism, and the production and dissemination of explicit images involving minors under the Statute of the Child and Adolescent (ECA).