Brazil looks within after violation of human rights stirs society
Anindya Banerjee, 24 November 2007, Saturday

A gross violation of human rights rock Brazil, as they vote against human rights violation in Myanmar at United Nations. A 15 year old girl, was put behind bars, without any charge, with 20 men who relentlessly raped her for 30 days

THE SHALLOWNESS of being called the new global economies of the world has been unearthed once again. But this time it’s not India. Brazil, one of the four emerging powers along with India, witnessed a gross violation of human rights has stirred the conscience of the Brazilian society so much that the political calm is threatened. A 15 year old girl was put in jail along with 20 other men and was forced to have sex for foods, repeatedly. Not only that, no official charges have been framed against her yet.

“She was raped from day one at the jail in Para state,” said a Children and Adolescent Defence Centre spokeswoman, adding the number of men in the cell varied from 20 to 34 while the girl was there. The president of the Human Rights Commission of Brazil stated, “She was raped innumerable times and forced to exchange sexual relations for food.” But this is not a first of its kind in the country. Earlier, a 23 year old woman, who was also jailed in Para state for one month together with 70 men, raised media speculations.

The teenager, whose identity was not disclosed, was arrested in the Para state capital Abaetetuba on October 21 on suspicion of robbery and put behind bars at a local police station jailhouse until an anonymous caller tipped off the media. “Nobody really knows what she was charged with. She was a suspect in a robbery but police were unable to tell us which robbery. There was no formal charge,” Cohen said.

The police now explain that they believed she was not a minor. Though Para governor Ana Julia Carepa in a face saving attempt under severe international media pressure, promised “exemplary punishment,” Brazilian citizens are little satisfied with this. They have taken to the streets in demonstration and put the government at a difficult position.

Probably its time for them to save their own people from these atrocities before voting in United Nations against human rights violations in Cuba, Myanmar, North Korea…

It is high time indeed.

merinews.com