The Brazilian government launched A guide to preventing violence against Brazilian women abroad. The document, released Friday, covers topics such as protecting and reporting domestic violence situations, virtual relationships and internet scams, Brazilian mothers living in other countries, and the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
Victims have access to a 24/7 voicemail and WhatsApp contact. Both are free and confidential. If a woman intends to file a complaint, the nearest Brazilian consulate will assist in communicating with local police authorities.
“When you are abroad and have a relationship with a foreign aggressor, there may be threats that the woman will be reported to immigration authorities, deported, and no longer able to visit her children,” notes the text from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs.
In such situations, regardless of their immigration status, women can contact their local Brazilian consulate or embassy. “The aggressor often uses this type of blackmail. This is not true,” he explains.
The brochure mentions “incredible job offers” and “businesses with incredible benefits” as possible online scams. Virtual romantic relationships are described as “in many cases leading to situations of violence and human trafficking.”
The document also warns mothers not to leave their country of residence with a child under 16 without the father’s permission to avoid charges of kidnapping and loss of custody of the child.