Facial Injuries Predominate in Physical Assaults Against Women, Prosecutors Say
Studies in dentistry and medicine indicate that between 70% and 90% of physical assaults against women target the face, according to prosecutor Fabíola Sucasas. This pattern suggests attackers aim to inflict permanent damage to victims' appearance and self-esteem. Prosecutor Sucasas also highlighted the significant issue of underreporting, citing a study of 3,193 female users of the Unified Health System (SUS) in Greater São Paulo. This study revealed that 76% of participants had experienced some form of violence, yet only 3.8% had these aggressions recorded in their medical records. Researcher Valeska Martins de Oliveira Brasil explained that aggressors target the face to damage victims' self-worth, aiming to make them feel undesirable. Sucasas emphasized that attacks causing disfigurement require specialized care, noting that current legislation mandates SUS to address aesthetic and psychological damage resulting from such injuries. In São Paulo, the Novo Olhar Institute, founded by Dr. Carla Góes, provides facial reconstruction, psychiatric and psychological support, legal guidance, and social assistance to victims, having assisted 435 women to date.
The data reveals a disturbing pattern where physical violence against women disproportionately targets the face, suggesting a deliberate intent to inflict lasting psychological and social harm beyond immediate physical injury. This approach to violence, aimed at degrading appearance and self-worth, underscores the complex interplay between physical harm and its profound impact on an individual's identity and social integration. The significant underreporting of these incidents, despite high prevalence, points to systemic barriers in victim support and data collection, potentially hindering effective intervention and prevention strategies. Future efforts should focus on strengthening reporting mechanisms, ensuring comprehensive rehabilitation services that address both physical and psychological trauma, and challenging the underlying societal attitudes that enable such gender-based violence.
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