Christiane Gomes describes the moment when her partner came into the bathroom with a gun and shot her in the face: "Where did all this blood come from?" she thought. "And what about the children?" Despite being seriously injured, she survived. But even after eight operations, she still suffers from facial pain. She's also struggling to make ends meet as she raises her children alone. But there is still hope: A surgeon is treating her free of charge, and she gets support in meeting with other survivors of attempted femicide.

Another woman, Carolina Magalhaes, was found dead below her apartment building. A court case is ongoing, but her relatives are convinced that Magalhaes's then-partner killed her.

Meanwhile, in Duque de Caxias near Rio de Janeiro, a police patrol is on the move to protect women who are under threat. The team also visits schools to educate young people about machismo in Brazilian culture, which is considered the main cause of femicide. Police officer Neuseli Pereira says that prevention is key to tackling the problem. Because even though violence against women is now punished more severely, the number of femicides continues to rise.

A report by Bianca Kopsch.

 

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