Lula Signs Tougher Laws Against Gender Violence as Chamber Postpones Misogyny Bill

Overview

• President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who signed the measures Thursday, ordered immediate electronic monitoring of high‑risk domestic‑violence offenders and allowed police delegates to impose ankle bracelets where no judge is available.
• The monitoring law also gives victims an alert device and raises penalties for violating protective orders, aiming to stop aggressors before they reach the woman or her dependents.
• The package creates a new crime called vicaricide for killings meant to emotionally harm a woman, with 20 to 40 years in prison and harsher terms when the act targets children, elders, or defies a court order.
• The laws also add a National Day to combat violence against Indigenous women on September 5 and lift the share of federal public‑safety funds for these efforts to 6% to help pay for monitoring and support.
• Chamber President Hugo Motta set the Senate‑approved misogyny bill aside until after the elections, drawing cheers from right‑wing deputies who call it censorship and vows from left‑wing lawmakers to force action through the Constitution and Justice Committee after a week of tense committee clashes.