Brazil's Maio Laranja campaign educates 2,000 children in Rondônia and reports surge in sexual crimes in Mato Grosso

The Public Prosecutor's Office of Rondônia organized a musical theatre program in three municipalities – Itapuã do Oeste, Candeias do Jamari and Porto Velho – that reached nearly two thousand children aged 7 to 13 between 18 and 22 May. Part of the national Maio Laranja campaign, the shows used songs and stories to teach children how to recognise and report sexual abuse. One participant said, “I learned that if someone touches my intimate parts, I should ask for help,” highlighting the program’s focus on breaking silence.

In Mato Grosso, authorities noted a 22.6 % rise in reported child sexual abuse cases, bringing the state to third place in Brazil for incidence rates after Rondônia and Roraima. Legal proceedings for rape of vulnerable persons increased from 1,714 to 2,082 in a year. The state legislature passed Law 13.168, establishing a permanent prevention policy and prohibiting individuals convicted of sexual crimes against minors from holding public office.