Paraíba sees rise in violence against women, with over 1,600 protective orders breached in 2025
The Brazilian state of Paraíba experienced a significant increase in key indicators of violence against women during 2025, according to the 2026 Brazilian Public Security Yearbook. Notably, the violation of urgent protective measures (MPU) rose by 18.7%, surpassing the national average increase of 16.7%. A total of 1,666 instances of protective order breaches were recorded in Paraíba in 2025, an increase from 1,397 in 2024. The state also saw a concerning 37.8% surge in completed feminicides, with 36 cases in 2025 compared to 26 in 2024. Alarmingly, none of the 36 feminicide victims had an active protective order at the time of their deaths, a contrast to the previous year when two victims were under judicial protection. In contrast, attempted feminicides saw a slight decrease of 3.2%.
Other forms of gender-based violence also escalated in Paraíba. Psychological violence increased by 41.2%, with 715 victims in 2025. Stalking cases grew by 39.3% to 2,147 occurrences, and bodily harm in domestic violence contexts rose by 4.3% to 1,435 cases. Sexual crimes against women also trended upwards, with rape and vulnerable rape cases increasing by 17.7% to 1,216. Sexual harassment cases rose by 0.5% to 102, while sexual importunity remained relatively stable with a 0.7% increase to 430. The only indicator showing a reduction was threats, which decreased by 1.4% to 11,577 occurrences.
The data from Paraíba highlights a critical systemic failure in the enforcement and efficacy of protective measures designed to prevent escalating violence against women. The significant increase in protective order violations, coupled with a rise in feminicides, suggests that these legal safeguards are insufficient to deter perpetrators or adequately protect victims. This trend indicates a potential gap between legal frameworks and on-the-ground implementation, possibly due to resource constraints, judicial backlogs, or a lack of robust follow-up mechanisms. Moving forward, a comprehensive review of the protective order system is warranted, focusing on proactive risk assessment, enhanced monitoring, and swifter judicial responses to breaches. Addressing the underlying societal factors contributing to gender-based violence, alongside strengthening these protective measures, will be crucial in mitigating these alarming trends over the next decade.
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