In Rondônia, a state identified as having the second-highest homicide rate against women in Brazil, the cycle of violence can be interrupted by legal interventions. Gracileide Damasceno, 47, overcame decades of domestic violence and, upon deciding to end the relationship, faced the worst attacks from her ex-husband. Thanks to a protective measure granted by the Justice system of Rondônia ten years ago, she gained the freedom to start a new phase, now dedicating herself to supporting women in similar situations.
Gracileide related that her greatest fear was that the aggressor would leave prison and come to kill her or her children. She stated that, through the aforementioned protective measure, she was able to leave the municipality safely and start her life anew.
Data from the Court of Justice of Rondônia (TJ-RO) indicate that in 2025 alone, more than ten thousand urgent protective measures were requested in the state. Previously, when Gracileide needed help, she had to appear in person at a unit. However, currently, it is possible to request it remotely, using a cell phone or computer.
Due to the abusive relationship, Leide—as she prefers to be called—only managed to finish high school after the separation. At 46, she achieved the goal of becoming a social worker and currently holds the position of coordinator at the Specialized Reference Center for Social Assistance (Creas) in Itapuã do Oeste (RO).
Before taking on the role of welcoming victims, she went through a period she describes as 'rock bottom.' Orphaned by her father at 15 and without family support, Gracileide saw marriage as a guarantee of stability, but the relationship proved to be the opposite. Over the years, her husband became progressively more controlling, jealous, aggressive, and abusive.
At the time, she had little perception of her situation, even believing that her own love would be enough to sustain the relationship. She explained that although he pushed her, insulted her, and pulled her hair, she did not consider it aggression because he apologized afterward, claiming not to know the reason for his actions.
Experts point out that such behaviors are recurrent in abusive relationships, and a major challenge in combating domestic violence is cultural normalization. Aline Rodrigues, a psychologist from the Coordination for Women in Domestic Violence Situations at the TJ-RO, clarifies that in a society where practices of control, excessive jealousy, devaluation, and imposition of limits on female autonomy are often seen as signs of affection, care, or concern, it becomes more difficult to recognize such acts as violence.
Without knowledge or a protection network, Leide lived for years in the cycle of violence until she started working for a social worker and later, for a prison agent. It was in this interaction that she realized what she was experiencing was, in fact, a crime. However, when she decided to end the relationship, she suffered the most severe physical assaults of her life.
She recalled that the man jumped the wall of her residence, where she lived with her children, broke down the door, and began assaulting her, hitting her repeatedly, while neighbors and her children witnessed the scene. After his arrest, he was released shortly thereafter, and the situation repeated itself. In the second incident, she registered the marks of violence at the Women's Police Station and received guidance to request a protective measure at the Guajará-Mirim Forum (RO), where she resided. There, she was assisted by Judge Juliana Paula Silva da Costa.
The Restart
This step marked the beginning of what she calls 'The Restart.' Gracileide thanked Dr. Juliana, saying she was a divine gift, as through the protective measure she could leave the 'cage' and the 'prison.' She added that today, being trained in Social Work, she has already helped many women.
The aggressor was arrested again, but upon release, he began to be monitored by an electronic ankle bracelet. Gracileide moved to another city and began rebuilding her life from scratch, needing psychological support to overcome the traumas caused by the relationship. She shared that he constantly insulted her, saying she was getting conceited, that she was no longer young, that no one would desire her, that she was fat and ugly—feelings she internalized.
To rebuild her life in another municipality, Leide worked in a palm heart factory, performing cleaning and laundry services in condominiums to support her children and fund her studies. She started as an intern at the Creas in Itapuã do Oeste (RO) and progressed to become the unit coordinator. Currently, she develops her own project, conceived in college, which offers courses for women victims of domestic violence, aiming for their financial independence in collaboration with local companies.
The Reunion
Years after the granting of the protective measure, Leide's path unexpectedly crossed with that of Judge Dr. Juliana during an external Judiciary assignment carried out at the Creas in Itapuã do Oeste, where Leide was interning and volunteering in Social Work.
This meeting was significant for both. Leide recounted everything she had lived through and how much she managed to reinvent and rebuild her life. The judge, in turn, tangibly understood how her work helped save a life and that her efforts were not in vain. She commented that hearing Leide's testimony allowed her to concretely understand that a judicial determination can transcend the limits of a process and impact a person's destiny, which she considers one of the greatest rewards of the judiciary: discovering that behind a decision lies an entire life that can be restored.
Currently, Leide and Dr. Juliana maintain mutual collaboration, both professionally and in terms of support, in confronting domestic violence. Although the magistrate works in another area, she continues to offer institutional support and assist the Creas in Itapuã do Oeste, where Leide coordinates.
The Cycle (Broken)
Psychologist Aline Rodrigues, from the TJ-RO, explains that relationships like Leide's follow a cycle of domestic violence that can repeat and intensify over time. This cycle is characterized by increased tension, episodes of violence, and a reconciliation phase, a moment when the partner promises changes and shows more affection, creating the expectation that the situation will not return.
She also clarifies that breaking away from such ties involves facing emotional, financial, social, and family barriers, compounded by the fear of new aggressions. Therefore, the woman's persistence should not be interpreted as acceptance. According to her, confronting these situations requires information, welcoming and respectful assistance free of judgment, in addition to access to a protection network capable of providing concrete security and support.
Lethal State for Women
According to data from the 20th Brazilian Public Security Yearbook, released in 2026, Rondônia ranks second among Brazilian states with the highest rates of femicide: 2.9 cases per hundred thousand women, totaling 25 fatal victims by gender in 2025 alone. In previous years, such as 2022 and 2023, the state was among the most lethal for women, considering the femicide rate.
Femicide is defined by Brazilian legislation as a crime motivated by hatred toward the female gender, usually occurring in contexts of domestic violence or when there is contempt or discrimination for being a woman. Judge Inês Moreira da Costa, from the TJ-RO, directly links this scenario of violence to the number of protective measures requested in the state, stating that 'it is not a number we are happy to know, but it represents that violence against women increases every year.'
Between 2021 and October 2026, more than fifty thousand protective measures were requested in Rondônia, according to data from the Court of Justice itself. The year with the highest volume was 2025, with more than ten thousand requests.
How to Request a Protective Measure?
The request for a protective measure can be made even without a formal police report, investigation, or ongoing process. The request can be made at police stations, with the Military Police, at the Public Prosecutor's Office, or through the Public Defender's Office or a lawyer. Additionally, it is possible to request it remotely through the TJ-RO website or the application available for Android and iOS.
The applicant must fill out a form containing their information and that of the aggressor, detailing the violence suffered, the measure's data, and attaching documents. Finally, it is necessary to send a photograph in 'selfie' format as proof. The state's response time is remarkably fast; in June of this year, the TJ-RO recorded a case where the protective measure was granted in less than an hour: the request was made at 9:18 AM and approved by the court at 10:16 AM.
After the protective measure is granted, monitoring is carried out by the Military Police. In Rondônia, there is the Maria da Penha Patrol, a specialized service of the corporation focused on preventing and combating violence against women. The coordinator of the Lilás Network for Confronting Violence Against Women emphasizes that the effectiveness of the measures depends on the integrated action of bodies such as public security, justice, social assistance, and health. She highlights the importance of instruments such as the National Risk Assessment Form (Fonar) and the Instrument for Assessing Psychological Violence (IAVP) to identify risks and define the most appropriate protection strategies.
In response to g1, the Civil Police of Rondônia informed, via the Freedom of Information Law, that there are eight Specialized Women's Assistance Police Stations (Deam) in the state, but none operate 24 hours. Furthermore, there is no dedicated police station for women's assistance in the capital, Porto Velho; victims must seek help at the Integrated Public Security Unit (Unisp), located in the East Zone.
