Data gathered by Folha shows that in January alone, 170 women were victims of femicide or attempted femicide. That amounts to six crimes a day, on average. Also, in seven out of ten cases, the perpetrator was the victim's current or former significant other.
Jefferson Nascimento, an attorney and researcher at Universidade de São Paulo, compiled the data using press reports.
There were 199 femicides and 60 attempts, on 25 states. The victims are, on average, 33 years old and the attacker, 38.
Reluctance to accept the end of the relationship, jealousy and suspected adultery were the main reasons for the crimes. Half of them happened inside the victims' home. A large number (41%) was attacked with a knife (41%) or gun (23%).
Brazilian law calls femicide the killing or attempt to kill a woman because of her gender. It is considered a heinous crime, with sentences from 12 to 30 years in jail. It's also considered widely underreported.
Translated by NATASHA MADOV