Brazilian girls are the most vulnerable, it is estimated that four girls are raped every hour on average. | Photo: PL

Brasilia, June 29 (RHC)-- The Brazilian Forum for Public Safety published a report this Tuesday where it points out that in 2021, 2,555 intentional violent deaths were reported in children and adolescents, while 66,020 from zero to 17 years old were sexually violated.

In 2020, the homicide rate in minors had been 3,001, so in 2021 it experienced a slight decrease; however, of the 66,020 sexually violated, 35,735 were between 0 and 13 years old, representing 61.3 percent of the total. 75.5 percent of the victims were incapable of consenting, while 79.6 percent of the cases knew their rapist.

The female sex continues to be the most affected, as girls represent 88.2 percent of rape victims, which indicates an average of four girls raped per hour. In this sense, the Yearbook assures that "the most visible and immediate effects are unwanted pregnancies, physical injuries and sexually transmitted infections".

The annual report also points out that the rate of child abuse recorded in 2020 was 29.8 percent, and in 2021 it evidenced a rise of 36.1 percent, with a variation of 21.3 percent.

The South American country's institution reflects a 2.1 percent increase in cases of child pornography, 11.1 percent increase in cases of abandonment of minors with disabilities, and 7.8 percent increase in cases of child sexual exploitation.

According to the Yearbook, in 2021, 18,461 bodily injuries were recorded in minors living in contexts of domestic violence, while 19,136 minors aged 0 to 17 were victims of abuse.

Faced with the increase in assaults against minors, the Brazilian Senate approved last March a draft legislation named Henry Borel Law, in posthumous homage to the four-year-old infant who died after being beaten in March 2021.

The future law qualifies as a heinous crime crimes perpetrated against minors and increases sentences for victimizers of children and adolescents, mainly if they suffer from any disability or illness.

In cases of rape, it guarantees legal protection for minors, with the assignment of a lawyer or Public Defender, and proposes penalties from three months to two years for those who violate the law, with greater rigor for those who are related to, work for or have legal guardianship of a victim under 14 years of age.

In the five-year period 2016-2020 under the government of Jair Bolsonaro, an annual average of 7,000 children and adolescents were murdered in Brazil, totaling 34,918, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef).

The Brazilian Forum for Public Safety is a non-profit organization dedicated to analyzing cases of violence in the South American giant and has been publishing a Yearbook for 15 years, where it compiles data provided by official sources on the subject.