In
all, well over 1,000 people were nabbed in the crime crackdown which
was conducted by some 6,600 police officers around the country,
according to updated figures from the public security ministry.
The
sweep was part of government efforts to respond to ever-rising violent
crime in Brazil, including a sharp increase in femicide, or murders
specifically targeting women.
By the
afternoon, 1,027 adults and 75 adolescents had been detained,
authorities said. Of these, 14 were arrested on charges of femicide and
143 others were accused of crimes related to the so-called Maria da
Penha law, which since 2006 has strengthened penalties for domestic
violence.
Among the others arrested
were 225 people on standard murder charges, 224 on charges such as drug
dealing or illegal firearms possession, and another 421 for other
crimes.
Public security minister Raul Jungmann said a chief focus was on violence against women.
"What matters to us is protecting lives and above all combating femicide, this terrible and unacceptable crime," he said.
"Some crimes are more serious and repugnant, especially those against women."
A
respected annual report released this month by the non-profit Brazilian
Forum for Public Security found that Brazil's steady annual rise in
homicides continues. There are now on average more than seven homicides
an hour in Latin America's biggest country, up 2.9 percent on 2016
figures.
There was a six percent increase in murders of women in 2017.
These
included 1,133 deaths as a result of femicide, or victims being
deliberately targeted because they were women. The 60,018 rapes were up
more than eight percent compared to 2016.
