The Brazilian Congress has assigned a committee to probe into allegations that a fifteen year old girl was raped repeatedly after being placed in the same cell as twenty male offenders in the state of Para. The girl says that she was forced to exchange sex for food with the inmates, and raped persistently for a month, reports the BBC.
Women’s rights activists say that this is not an isolated case, stating that the scandal highlights the problem of a serious shortage of facilities for female criminals in Brazil, according to Women’s eNews.
"I am shocked and indignant, as a woman and as a governor," Ana Julia Carepa, Governor of the state of Para, where the incident took place, said. "Whether she was 15, 20, or 100 doesn't matter. A woman should never be left in a jail with men." Carepa assured that those responsible would be punished, and that such a case would not be allowed to occur again.
Media Resources: BBC 11/23/07; ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) 11/25/07; Women’s eNews 12/01/07
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