The number of protective measures granted by the Rio de Janeiro Court increased by 22% in the first 10 months of 2026, compared to the same period last year. From January to October, there were 51,052 measures, compared to 41,784 in 2025, according to data from the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice (TJRJ).
Faced with the increase in demand for protection, the Military Police will reinforce the Maria da Penha Patrol in regions that concentrate a greater number of women monitored by the program.
24 new police officers and vehicles will be allocated to areas in the North Zone of Rio, Baixada Fluminense and the Mountain Region. In these regions, more than 10 thousand women are assisted. Itaguaí will also now have the service.
According to Colonel Fabiana Brito, coordinator of Patrulha Maria da Penha, the distribution of the reinforcement was defined after a survey of demand in the 92 municipalities where the program operates.
"We carried out a study in all the municipalities, in the 92 municipalities in which Maria da Penha operates, and we realized that some battalions have a very different, much higher number of people assisted. So, they concentrate around 42% of all those assisted, which are approximately 27 thousand", he stated.
According to the colonel, the reinforcement represents a 10% increase in the resources used by the program.
"The reinforcement of patrols in these areas, in these battalions with a very high number of people assisted, will contribute to providing more effectiveness and security for these women. We will be able to provide better quality, more dynamic and effective care", he said.
Monitoring victims
The work of the Maria da Penha Patrol goes beyond the patrols. The teams also visit women, maintain contact with them and can accompany them to hearings. The objective is to monitor compliance with protective measures and prevent attackers from approaching.
One of the women assisted by the program said that she has been receiving support for almost 3 years. She claims that she was married for 25 years and had previously obtained a protective order, but did not take the process any further.
In 2024, according to her report, the violence returned. The ex-partner found her at a party, put her in a car and spent the night attacking her. She managed to escape. The man was arrested and later released. Currently, according to the woman, he is monitored by an electronic ankle monitor.
"He is wearing an ankle bracelet and I use the panic button. There is a 100 meter radius within which he cannot approach. If he approaches within that radius, the devices activate the monitoring center", he said.
She says the constant presence of police officers brought more security.
"I feel quite safe. It will be three years old next year and I have been assisted by them throughout this time. They give me all the support. They are always ready to help me."
PM corporal Daiana Flor, who works in the Maria da Penha Patrol, explains that the bond between the police officers and the women is built throughout the monitoring.
"At first, for them, it's a little different having to talk to a police officer. Even though she's a woman, she's in uniform. There's a bit of resistance to understand. Then, she ends up building a relationship, because it's not just a visit. There she builds a bond. She understands that what matters most is her life."
More than 135 thousand women accompanied
In 7 years, the Maria da Penha Patrol has monitored more than 135 thousand women and carried out more than a thousand arrests.
For those who have experienced a situation of violence, expanding this network also helps in the process of rebuilding their lives.
"Only those who go through the situation know how difficult it is. I'm very happy that this support network is extended. It's not easy to start over. The person has to have family support. Thank God, I have the support of my children, my family, my friends. It was a very difficult time", said the woman accompanied by the program.
