Brazil reports surge in virtual gender violence and child abuse cases

A 2026 report from the Instituto de Segurança Pública shows that online gender‑based crimes in Rio de Janeiro rose 1,300% over the past decade, with an average of 16 women and girls attacked each day in 2025, totaling 5,970 victims. Most victims were Black (52.3%), single (47.9%) and aged 18‑29 (29.8%). The study also documented the growing use of digital platforms to breach protective orders.

Nationwide data from the Ministry of Health’s SINAN system reveal a 125% increase in reported violence against children and adolescents between 2020 and 2025, climbing from 73,635 to 165,413 cases in 2025 (685,629 total notifications for ages 0‑18). Female victims accounted for 62% of reports; sexual violence was the most common type (34%), followed by neglect (33.3%) and physical abuse (32.9%). All Brazilian regions recorded rises, with the Northeast showing a 1,200% jump.

In Amazonas, the National Justice Council recorded 5,025 protective orders for women in the first four months of 2026 – an 18.5% increase over the same period in 2025, averaging 41 orders per day. The state’s justice system attributes the rise to greater trust in protective‑order mechanisms.

The state of Minas Gerais launched the "Protocolo Elo", a coordinated protocol to improve investigation and victim assistance for sexual violence cases after recording 25,264 rapes from 2021‑2025 and 2,128 cases in the first five months of 2026.

Acre’s public security data show 232 victims of “rape of a vulnerable person” from January to May 2026, a 24.73% increase over the previous year, with a rate of 62.72 victims per 100,000 inhabitants.