Grandmother taught distress signal used by girl to ask for help after attempted rape in Curitiba: ‘When it was on television, I said it’

The grandmother of the 9-year-old girl who managed to call for help with a universal distress signal after being approached by a man in Curitiba taught the gesture to her grandchildren after seeing it on television. According to her, the guidance was so that children knew how to act in dangerous situations.

"When it was on television, I said: 'This is for you too. Any danger you are in, as soon as you can ask for help, do it with your hand. Anyone who knows this sign will know that you need help'", details the grandmother.

She also explained to the children the importance of being careful when leaving home, such as not getting too close to strangers, not talking to strangers and not accepting sweets or money from people they don't know.

The case happened on Friday morning (9), in the Sítio Cercado neighborhood. The girl was going to school with other children, including her 10-year-old cousin, when she was approached by a 54-year-old man.

According to the Municipal Guard, the suspect offered her money to accompany him. After refusing, he forcibly held the child's hand and began to lead him. The suspect's name was not released and was arrested.

Out of fear, the only reaction the child had was to make the distress signal, which consists of folding the thumb into the palm of the hand and closing the other four fingers over it.

Upon recognizing the gesture, the cousin ran to a gas station and asked for help.

"I arrived saying that the man was trying to steal my cousin. They already took it seriously", remembers the boy.

Security cameras recorded the boy asking for help. Employees and customers went towards the suspect, who fled. The gas station attendants called a Municipal Guard vehicle that was passing through the region, and the man was arrested for attempting to rape a vulnerable person.

According to the corporation, he had been monitored by an electronic ankle bracelet since 2017 for raping a vulnerable person.

The suspect was arrested in the act and had his arrest converted into preventative custody during the custody hearing, according to the Public Ministry (MP-PR).

The universal distress signal was created in Canada. In April 2020, a Toronto advertising agency developed a campaign with actions to contain the growth in cases of domestic violence recorded during the Covid-19 confinement period. The aim was to create a simple and safe gesture that could be used by victims of domestic violence to report them, without the aggressor noticing the call for help.

According to experts, when you notice someone making the gesture, the advice is to try to approach the person in a discreet and friendly way, as if you knew the victim, and take them to a safe place, such as a store or a pharmacy.

The recommendation is to talk to the victim and refer them to the competent bodies, such as the police station.

If it is not possible to get closer, the advice is to contact the police and report the situation.