A police station of their own

Although it is small - just eight rooms along one drab corridor - it is typical of the city's other women's stations in that it is staffed almost exclusively by women. The senior officer is known as a delegada; four specially trained officers take down the women's complaints; five detectives investigate reported abuses; and three psychologists take counseling shifts.

A TV and a coffee machine adorn the waiting area, and there's a place for children to play while their mothers are giving statements.

Usually the only male on the premises is one of the lawyers on call to provide legal advice to victims.

Of the 289,127 cases reported to the women's stations last year, 30 percent were for assault and battery, and 29 percent were for threatening behavior. The other cases were for 13 crimes as diverse as homicide, rape, slander, and abortion, which is still illegal in this overwhelmingly Catholic country.

The vast majority of cases were brought by women in established relationships, Salgado says. In Brazil, many men believe they have the right to physically dominate their partners, and many women accept a submissive role.

A study carried out by the Perseu Abramo Foundation in 2001 showed that one-third of Brazilian women had been victims of some kind of violence (including verbal and psychological abuse), and almost one-quarter had experienced physical attacks.

The women who report their abusers do so primarily because they want to show they are not powerless, Salgado says. "What they are looking for is not to criminalize the behavior of the abuser. They go to stop the violence.... It's a way of renegotiating the relationship, a means of mediation."

Convincing men that violence against women is unacceptable is one of the main obstacles facing female officers. The number of accusations heard at women's police stations grows every year, Salgado says, and she expects it will continue to rise as long as men believe violence against women is a viable option.

In an attempt to change that belief, officials offer accused men the option of counseling. After hearing his side of the story, the delegada usually asks him to take part in group therapy sessions. However, unless a judge includes therapy as part of a sentence, officers cannot force it, and only 20 percent to 30 percent of men actually take up the offer, says Joceleide de Souza, the delegada at the 8th Women's Police Station.

In da Silva's case, the delegada asked her ex-husband to come in and give his version of events. He didn't show up, so a formal date has been set for him to appear before a court.

Another challenge is persuading the male-dominated district attorney's office and judges to treat the issue of spousal abuse seriously.

The Ministerio Publico (the Brazilian agency similar to a district attorney's office) tends to come down on the side of the man when deciding whether to press charges, says Norma Kyriakos, a former São Paulo attorney general and now a prominent lawyer. In addition, the cases that do proceed are often referred to lower courts where judges are able to pass more lenient sentences, particularly for first-time offenders, she says.

"Instead of giving him community service [or jail time], they propose he pays for a basket of food or other goods for a charitable institution," Dr. Kyriakos says. "And so the man keeps doing it because he knows that's all he'll have to pay.... Women today are still afraid to go to the police because they are afraid of their attackers. They are poor, they live with them. They know that when they are finished here with the delegada or judge they are on their own again."

Nevertheless, all those involved say that while the problem of violence against women still persists, the creation of the women's stations has made men more accountable.

"The impact has been really impressive," Santos says. "What women's police stations are doing is making violence more visible in society. They are creating a crime where one never existed before."

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