Paraíba Sees 40% Surge in Stalking Cases Against Women in One Year
Paraíba, Brazil, experienced a significant increase of approximately 40% in stalking cases targeting women between 2024 and 2025. According to the 2026 Brazilian Public Security Yearbook, the state recorded 2,147 stalking incidents in 2025, up from 1,534 in 2024. Nationally, over 123,000 such crimes were reported. Stalking, defined as repeated pursuit through physical or online means, was criminalized in Brazil in 2021. The law covers actions like persistent messages, calls, monitoring, and social media harassment that threaten a victim's safety, restrict their freedom, or violate their privacy.
Beyond stalking, Paraíba also saw a 41% rise in psychological violence against women within domestic violence contexts, with 715 cases reported in 2025 compared to the previous year. The yearbook's data is compiled from State Public Security and/or Social Defense Secretariats, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), and the Brazilian Public Security Forum. In a separate but related trend, cellphone theft in Paraíba increased by 51% from 2024 to 2025, with incidents rising from 3,174 to 4,799. This surge placed Paraíba second only to Rio de Janeiro in states experiencing growth in cellphone theft and robbery combined.
The reported 40% increase in stalking cases against women in Paraíba, alongside a 41% rise in psychological violence within domestic contexts, highlights a critical societal challenge in addressing gender-based harassment and abuse. While the criminalization of stalking in 2021 provides a legal framework, the escalating statistics suggest a gap between legal provisions and effective prevention or enforcement. This trend, occurring alongside a significant rise in cellphone theft, points to broader issues of public safety and potentially the misuse of technology for criminal activities. Future policy considerations could focus on enhanced victim support services, digital literacy programs to counter online harassment, and improved data collection to understand the intersection of these evolving crime patterns. Examining the effectiveness of current protective measures and the societal factors contributing to these increases will be crucial for developing more robust public safety strategies in the coming decade.
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