Relatives of Taylaine Alves, a 19-year-old mother of two, stand around Alves's coffin as they mourn during her funeral in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, September 6, 2019. Police said Alves was severely burned in an attack by her boyfriend and later died in a hospital from her injuries. Alves's boyfriend was charged with the killing and is in prison awaiting trial. His lawyer from the public defender's office declined to comment. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - During the early months of Brazil's COVID-19 pandemic, Rio de Janeiro police detective Fernanda Fernandes was certain that cases of domestic abuse were rising, but there was little she could do about it as few women came forward to file a report.
"Women (were) unable to escape their abusers while stuck at home," said Fernandes, who runs the Specialized Delegation for Support of Women (DEAM) in Rio's sprawling Duque de Caxias suburb. The number of complaints has, however, risen as the outbreak has ebbed, and more women have left their homes to lodge complaints with police, she said.
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