Rio de Janeiro's 'Maria da Penha Virtual' App Sees Surge in Domestic Violence Protection Requests
The 'Maria da Penha Virtual' application, developed by the Court of Justice of Rio de Janeiro (TJRJ), is on track to record its highest number of requests for protective measures since its launch. From January to July 2026, the app has already registered 3,210 such requests, nearing the total of 3,696 recorded throughout all of 2025. This trend suggests that 2026 could be the year with the greatest utilization of the tool. Women aged 21 to 40 represent over half of the requests, accounting for 56.5%.
Data from the Observatory of Judicial Violence against Women indicates that aggressors in cases reported this year were characterized as violent in 38.1% of instances, controlling in 35.7%, and exhibiting excessive jealousy in 26.3%. The platform has averaged 459 monthly requests in the first seven months of 2026, projecting a nearly 50% increase compared to 2025 if this pace continues. Historical data shows a consistent rise in the app's use: 1,579 requests in 2022, 3,113 in 2023, 3,497 in 2024, and 3,696 in 2025.
Launched in 2020 by UFRJ students during the pandemic, Maria da Penha Virtual is a web app accessible via a link, requiring no download to ensure user safety. Victims can securely submit a form detailing personal information, aggressor data, and the nature of the abuse, with options to attach evidence like photos and audio. The system then automatically generates a PDF petition for the appropriate court, providing the victim with tracking access.
The increasing adoption of the 'Maria da Penha Virtual' app highlights a critical societal challenge and a potential shift in how victims of domestic violence seek legal recourse. While the surge in requests indicates greater awareness and accessibility to protective measures, it also points to persistent or escalating rates of domestic violence within the region. The app's design, emphasizing security and ease of access, addresses a key barrier for victims. Future analysis should consider the correlation between app utilization, judicial response times, and the actual reduction in violence incidents. Understanding the demographic profile of users and aggressors can inform targeted prevention strategies, but the ultimate measure of success will be a demonstrable decrease in the underlying violence, not merely an increase in reported cases or protective orders.
AI-generated to prompt reflection — not editorial opinion, not advice, not a statement of fact. How this works.