Biblioteca Digital

Women and girls, who are often themselves victims of human trafficking and are sexually exploited by criminal gangs, are being prosecuted and convicted for human trafficking-related crimes, according to a new UNODC publication., Female victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation as defendants: A case law analysis

These victims often have no alternative but to obey an order. Some hope to limit their own exploitation or escape poverty by playing a role in the criminal process.

Yet at the same time, the traffickers use the women and girls as a shield to protect themselves from being punished for their crimes.

These are the findings of a new UNODC study which aims to shed light on this alarming trend. The publication highlights the complexities faced by victims of human trafficking, with a view to assist the authorities and victim support services that handle such cases.

Source: Textt by UNODC, 2020

Even before the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, the home was a place of fear for many women and girls living in situations of violence. In Latin America, 70 percent of femicides occur in the victim’s home.

The quarantine and stay-at-home orders that governments adopted to address COVID-19 trapped many women with their abusers; evidence from early on in the pandemic reinforces the urgency of this issue. ORMUSA, or Organización de Mujeres Salvadoreña, in El Salvador reported 13 femicides in the first 6 weeks of quarantine between March 17 and April 29, 2020. In Argentina, 63 women and girls were killed because of their gender between March 20 and July 7. In the month of March 2020, 50 feminicides were recorded in just six states in Brazil. These statistics are alarming as the virus continues to spread across the Americas, raising fears that extended lockdowns will continue to exacerbate gender-based violence while governments struggle to address the twin public health crises.

What is teen dating violence?

Teen dating violence (TDV) is a type of intimate partner violence. It occurs between two people in a close relationship. TDV includes four types of behavior:

 • Physical violence is when a person hurts or tries to hurt a partner by hitting, kicking, or using another type of physical force.

• Sexual violence is forcing or attempting to force a partner to take part in a sex act, sexual touching, or a non-physical sexual event (e.g., sexting) when the partner does not or cannot consent.

• Psychological aggression is the use of verbal and non-verbal communication with the intent to harm another person mentally or emotionally and/or exert control over another person.

• Stalking is a pattern of repeated, unwanted attention and contact by a partner that causes fear or concern for one’s own safety or the safety of someone close to the victim. Teen dating violence, also referred to as “dating violence,” can take place in person or electronically, such as repeated texting or posting sexual pictures of a partner online without consent. Unhealthy relationships can start early and last a lifetime. Teens often think some behaviors, like teasing and name-calling, are a “normal” part of a relationship—but these behaviors can become abusive and develop into serious forms of violence. However, many teens do not report unhealthy behaviors because they are afraid to tell family and friends.

Together for Girls, in partnership with The Equality Institute and the Oak Foundation, undertook a systematic review of proven solutions and best practices to prevent and respond to sexual violence against children and youth (SVAC). 

The review was completed in collaboration with a group of experts and allied organizations and highlights evidence-based solutions from around the world — from a girl’s empowerment initiative in India to justice reform in Guatemala to school-based education program in the United States.

Atlas da Violência: Brasil registra mais de 65 mil homicídios em 2017

Taxa de homicídios por 100 mil habitantes variam de 10,3 em São Paulo a 62,8 no Rio Grande do Norte, aponta estudo produzido pelo Ipea e pelo Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública

O Brasil atingiu, pela primeira vez em sua história, o patamar de 31,6 homicídios por 100 mil habitantes. A taxa, registrada em 2017, corresponde a 65.602 homicídios naquele ano e revela a premência de ações efetivas para reverter o aumento da violência. É o que aponta o Atlas da Violência 2019, produzido pelo Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada (Ipea) e pelo Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública.

O estudo identifica dois fenômenos no país: enquanto mais estados reduzem a taxa de letalidade violenta, há forte crescimento no Norte e no Nordeste. Em 2017, as taxas de homicídios por 100 mil habitantes foram bastante heterogêneas entre as unidades da Federação, variando de 10,3 em São Paulo a 62,8 no Rio Grande do Norte. Houve diminuição no Sudeste e no Centro-Oeste, estabilidade no Sul e crescimento acentuado no Norte e no Nordeste.

O estado com maior crescimento no número de homicídios em 2017 foi o Ceará, que registrou alta de 49,2% e atingiu o recorde histórico de 5.433 mortes violentas intencionais, causados por armas de fogo, droga ilícita e conflitos interpessoais. No Acre, a variação foi de 42,1% em 2017, totalizando 516 homicídios – considerando-se o período de 2007 a 2017, o número de homicídios subiu 276,6% no estado.

O crescimento da violência letal no Acre está associado à guerra por novas rotas do narcotráfico, que saem do Peru e da Bolívia e envolvem três facções criminosas: o Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), o Comando Vermelho (CV) e o Bonde dos 13 (B13). Este fenômeno também influencia o número de homicídios no Amazonas, que praticamente dobrou em uma década e chegou a 1.674 em 2017. Na outra ponta, o estado com maior redução na taxa de homicídios em 2017 foi Rondônia (-22%), seguido por Distrito Federal (-19.7%) e São Paulo (-4,9%).