RIO DE JANEIRO: Women in Brazil are outraged at the rising number of rapes and sexual attacks in the country. Their anger came as another woman was raped on a bus in Rio de Janeiro, less than two months after an American tourist was gang raped in front of her boyfriend. The 30-year-old was robbed, beaten and raped at gunpoint by a man in the capital. Police told Bikyanews.com that they are certain it was the doing of a group of men working in coordination. "We are searching for people who match the description and hope to be fierce in our efforts to end attacks against women," one police official in the city said. The assault took place on Friday. It comes just over a month after an American tourist was gang raped inside a transit van in Rio by three men in front of her French national boyfriend, who was handcuffed and forced to watch. For Brazilian women, enough is enough and they are demanding the government and police do more to ensure this never happens again. “This is the end of it," began 24-year-old women's rights activist Maria Wagner. “I am simply fed up with the way women are treated in this country. This rape, and it happens to Brazilian women too, is the end of my line. I am going to do everything I can to make certain justice is served and women speak out against this injustice that is making my country too dangerous for women." In a 6-month period last year, from January through June, over 5,000 cases of sexual violence were reported in Brazil, showing just how bad the situation has become for women. “And I won't allow people and police to say this is a safe country because it is not," added Wagner. Incidents like this continue raise new questions about security in Rio, which has won kudos for its crackdown on once-endemic drug violence in preparation for hosting next year's football World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic games. The city also will be playing host to World Youth Day, a Roman Catholic pilgrimage that will be attended by Pope Francis and is expected to draw some 2 million people in late July. “The victims described everything in great detail, mostly the sexual violence," police officer Rodrigo Brant told the Globo TV network. “Just how they described the facts was shocking — the violence and brutality. It surprised even us, who work in security and are used to hearing such things." Wagner and other women say the police are “lying" and that they “have experienced this with Brazilian women as victims, but they do nothing. I am scared for people and there will be a revolution by women if this violence continues." The attack drew comparisons with the fatal December beating and gang rape of a young woman on a New Delhi bus in which six men beset a 23-year-old university student and male friend after they boarded a private bus. That attack touched off a wave of protests across India demanding stronger protection for women. Officials there say tourism has dropped in the country following the attacks. But Brazil's police attempted to dispel fears from foreigners, saying this attack was “rare" even as women like Wagner detailed at least 7 similar attacks against Brazilian women in the city. “These type of crimes committed against foreign tourists are very uncommon," said Alexandre Braga, the police officer leading the investigation. BN
