Honourable Vice-President/High-Representative

Honourable Vice-President/High-Representative,

We are writing to express our utmost concern about the extensive sexual violence against women in Brazil.

The recent case of a 16-year-old girl raped by more than 30 men and then being further humiliated by pictures and videos of the crime uploaded to the internet, has once again brought much-needed attention to the problem of violence against women in Brazil.

According to the Annual Public Safety Report, there is one woman raped every 11 minutes in Brazil. However, the actual figures are expected to be much higher, as rape remains alarmingly underreported. The Institute for Applied Economic Research estimates that only 10 % of rape victims attempt to report it. Among the major reasons behind it is the on-going victim-blaming attitude prevalent in society, which justifies violence against women and online psychological violence.

The Brazilian authorities must do more to tackle this prevailing and worsening issue to ensure the safety and well-being of women. In the state of Rio alone, where the Olympics will be held in August this year, 4,725 women were raped in 2014, a 26% increase since 2010 according to police statistics.

We call on you, High Representative, to raise these concerns with the Brazilian authorities, and to use all means possible to assist Brazil so that concrete actions can be taken.

Furthermore, we emphasise that abuse and violence against women of any kind should be broadly condemned and the perpetrators brought to justice. The Brazilian authorities must face this issue and fight against the culture of rape and violence against women, as it is a serious violation of human rights.

Yours sincerely,

Dita Charanzová (ALDE)

Martina Anderson (GUE-NGL) Eric Andrieu (S&D) Petras Auštrevičius (ALDE) Beatriz Becerra Basterrechea (ALDE) Xabier Benito Ziluaga (GUE-NGL) Michał Boni (EPP) Lynn Boylan (GUE-NGL) Matt Carthy (GUE-NGL) Fabio Massimo Castaldo (EFDD) Anna Maria Corazza Bildt (EPP) Viorica Dăncilă (S&D) Martina Dlabajová (ALDE) José Inácio Faria (ALDE) Eleonora Forenza (GUE-NGL) Iratxe García Pérez (S&D) María Teresa Giménez Barbat (ALDE) Tania González Peñas (GUE-NGL) Maria Grapini (S&D) Nathalie Griesbeck (ALDE) Antanas Guoga (ALDE) Sophie in 't Veld (ALDE) Liisa Jaakonsaari (S&D) Dietmar Köster (S&D) Stelios Kouloglou (GUE-NGL) Kostadinka Kuneva (GUE-NGL) Merja Kyllönen (GUE-NGL) Marisa Matias (GUE-NGL) Costas Mavrides (S&D) Louis Michel (ALDE) Marlene Mizzi (S&D) Javier Nart (ALDE) Luděk Niedermayer (EPP) Liadh Ní Riada (GUE-NGL) Maria Noichl (S&D) Maite Pagazaurtundúa Ruiz (ALDE) Dimitrios Papadimoulis (GUE-NGL) Soraya Post (S&D) Carolina Punset (ALDE) Marietje Schaake (ALDE) Jasenko Selimovic (ALDE) Barbara Spinelli (GUE-NGL) Patricija Šulin (EPP) Hannu Takkula (ALDE) Marc Tarabella (S&D) Keith Taylor (Greens/EFA) Matthijs van Miltenburg (ALDE) Hilde Vautmans (ALDE) Julie Ward (S&D) Josef Weidenholzer (S&D) Jadwiga Wiśniewska (ECR) Anna Záborská (EPP)