{"id":30675,"date":"2016-09-12T14:00:08","date_gmt":"2016-09-12T17:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=30675"},"modified":"2024-03-14T11:04:56","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T14:04:56","slug":"rio-hotlines-denouncing-rights-violations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=30675","title":{"rendered":"Rio Hotlines: Denouncing Rights Violations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

All citizens should\u00a0be aware of their\u00a0rights<\/a> and what they can do\u00a0when they are\u00a0violated<\/a>. Unfortunately,\u00a0information on what resources are available\u00a0is not always effectively\u00a0communicated. Below\u00a0is a brief summary of some of the rights guaranteed by laws in Brazil, and how violations of these rights can be denounced in the city of Rio de Janeiro.<\/p>\n

Public health and basic services<\/h3>\n

According to Law n\u02da11.445<\/a>, implemented on January 5, 2007, all Brazilian citizens have the right to basic services such as drinkable water<\/a>, adequate sewerage infrastructure<\/a>, and basic waste management<\/a> to ensure a standard quality of life for all<\/a>. These services should be provided in a way that is adapted to the local environment. They must be provided with transparency and allow for social control of the services, as well as abide by\u00a0basic environmental regulations such as moderation of water usage.<\/p>\n

In cases of inadequate water provision, Rio residents should\u00a0file a complaint with CEDAE<\/a> (the State Water and Sewage Utility). CEDAE is charged with implementing projects to facilitate water transportation throughout the city. CEDAE<\/a>\u00a0requests that\u00a0customers denounce a lack of water, leaks, wasting of water, and more. Rio citizens can also report water issues\u00a0by calling 1746<\/a>\u00a0or using the 1746 website<\/a>, or anonymously via the City’s ombudsman webpage<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Police violence and public safety<\/h3>\n

Article 144<\/a> of the Brazilian Constitution addresses public security<\/a>, saying it is both the duty of the State and the right and responsibility of all citizens.\u00a0Despite the high rates of police killings<\/a> in Brazil, various constraints are in place to limit police violence, at least in theory.\u00a0If a firearm is used, for example, officers must be able to prove it was used against an armed person who posed an immediate threat to public safety.<\/p>\n

\"N\u00f3sIn cases of police violence or abuse of power, Rio residents\u00a0can use the\u00a0N\u00f3s por N\u00f3s<\/a>\u00a0application developed by the Rio de Janeiro Youth Forum<\/a>, which\u00a0allows witnesses to submit videos, photos, texts or voice recordings with evidence of police brutality<\/a>, which\u00a0are then transferred to the appropriate institutions who can\u00a0respond to the particular incident. Through the app, citizens can also access information on\u00a0their rights with regards to police violence. Download the app here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With\u00a0DefeZap<\/a>, an online network developed by advocacy group\u00a0Meu Rio<\/a>, users can submit videos denouncing\u00a0illegal violence by state officials. These videos are then analyzed and grouped with other materials relating to similar offenses. Users have access to protocol numbers for each incident. The network can also be used by journalists to gather information on state violence.<\/p>\n

A new initiative to map shootings of any type across\u00a0Rio, Fogo Cruzado\u2019s app<\/a>,\u00a0homepage<\/a>\u00a0and Facebook page<\/a>\u00a0provide\u00a0information regarding fatalities, people wounded, and the locations of shootings. Weekly summaries\u00a0provide comparisons<\/a> between Fogo Cruzado’s own data crowdsourced from contributors\u00a0and the records in official police reports.\u00a0Launched by Amnesty International Brazil<\/a> on July 5, 2016, the project was a key tool for documenting and drawing attention to continued shootouts and fatalities<\/a> during the Olympic Games<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Domestic violence against women<\/h3>\n

Law n\u02da11.340<\/a>, more commonly known as the Maria da Penha Law<\/a>, was implemented in 2006 and is meant to protect women from domestic violence<\/a>. Article 2 of the law states that all women, independent of class, race, ethnicity, income, sexual orientation, culture, educational level, age, and religion, have the right to have their mental and physical health protected, as well as their moral, intellectual and social development. The law promises\u00a0police protection and medical care options to victims of domestic violence, as well as other assistance to get women\u00a0into safe homes. Keep in mind, however, that like all the laws mentioned in this article, the law on the books\u00a0is not always consistent with its\u00a0real-world\u00a0implementation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In cases of domestic violence, women living in Rio or other cities throughout Brazil can turn to a\u00a0Woman’s Defense Station<\/a>\u00a0(DDM) or the Specialized Station\u00a0for Assistance to Women<\/a> (DEAM) as\u00a0part of the Maria da Penha Law. These are special gender-focused police stations supporting women. Additionally, victims\u00a0or witnesses can call the hotline number 127 to denounce incidents of domestic violence to the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro. They can also do this through the Ministry\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Woman<\/a><\/p>\n

RioSolid\u00e1rio<\/a>, a Rio-based NGO, launched the\u00a0Vila Lil\u00e1s<\/a>\u00a0project to help women find\u00a0help in cases of domestic violence. Associated with the State Secretariat for Social Assistance and Human Rights, the World Bank, Supervia, and the State Transport Secretariat, Vila Lil\u00e1s consists of<\/a> interactive computerized kiosks\u00a0located at\u00a0select train and cable car<\/a> stations\u00a0that\u00a0provide information about a woman’s right to protection and\u00a0access to addresses and phone numbers they should contact depending on their needs and location in the city. Furthermore, as women anonymously enter information about their domestic abuse cases, the database stores the data to inform government services about the type of support\u00a0needed by women in various locations.<\/p>\n

Sexual violence<\/h3>\n

Law n\u02da8.072\/1990<\/a>\u00a0defines heinous crimes and includes acts such as homicide, corporal lesions, extortion, rape,\u00a0or other forms of sexual exploitation of children, adolescents, or vulnerable persons. These crimes are all punishable by law with\u00a0up to 15 years in prison.<\/p>\n

Mapa do Acolhimento<\/a>, an initiative started by mobilization NGO\u00a0Nossas Cidades<\/a> in collaboration with Meu Rio, was created with the hope of helping victims\u00a0find the help they need. The service provides information regarding women\u2019s rights, so that these women can learn about their resources, but also a support network of volunteer psychotherapists who offer free\u00a0services to help victims of sexual abuse.<\/p>\n

More hotlines<\/h3>\n

Safernet<\/a> is an online hotline platform that can be used to denounce crimes and human rights violations. The platform\u00a0is supported by the government as well as private partnerships, police and judicial authorities. Users can send images, videos, texts or any type of material that can be used as proof of a violation. The website offers multiple categories of crimes to denounce, including child pornography, racism,\u00a0xenophobia, neo-Nazism, animal mistreatment, religious intolerance, homophobia and human trafficking. The site accumulates all reports to keep statistics on the types of crimes committed and denounced throughout Brazil.<\/p>\n

The Federal Public Ministry also provides the option of denouncing various types of crime online, anonymously, through its\u00a0website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Brazilian citizens can denounce cyber crimes directly to the Federal Police, including\u00a0child pornography, hate crimes, genocide or human trafficking. Crimes can be denounced by email to\u00a0crime.internet@dpf.gov.br<\/a> for cybercrime in general, to\u00a0coain.coger@dpf.gov.br<\/a> for crimes committed by the Federal Police, and to\u00a0dprev.cgpfaz@dpf.gov.br<\/a> for social security crimes.<\/p>\n

As publicized throughout the city, Rio residents can, at any time, call\u00a0Disque Den\u00fancia<\/a>\u00a0on 2253-1177 to denounce a wide range of criminal acts such as child abuse, money extortion, drug trafficking, homicides, gambling, falsification of citizenship, and others. Disque Direitos Humanos<\/a>\u2014specific for human rights abuses\u2014also passes on information and orientation regarding actions, programs, campaigns, rights and protection services to those who need it. Victims of human rights abuses can call Disque 100, a phone hotline that is in service 24 hours a\u00a0day. The service is run by\u00a0the national Secretariat for Human Rights. It specifically serves vulnerable groups\u00a0such as children and adolescents, the elderly, people with deficiencies, LGBTQ communities, people living on the street, quilombolas, and indigenous people,\u00a0among others.<\/p>\n

Finally, if none of the local or national resources available suffice to denounce the human rights abuses that are taking place, Brazilian citizens have the option of denouncing these abuses directly to the United Nations\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Brazil has ratified the following international human rights treaties, meaning any violation of the rights outlined within them can be denounced to the federal government<\/a> or by international organizations and other ratifying countries:<\/p>\n