“If we don’t report, they kill. I had to report it to be alive. If I hadn’t reported, I wouldn’t have any story to tell." The story is from "Renata" (fictional name), a resident of the city of Palmas, and reflects the reality of many women who face violence in their homes. The phrase, spoken today with firmness, was born from a moment-limit, when she decided to ask for help and dial 190. That connection marked the beginning of a change of course, from fear to protection, from silence to the pursuit of justice.
Domestic violence often sets in quietly, fueled by threats, control, and humiliation that recur over time. For many victims, reporting represents the first step to break this cycle and regain their lives.
It was like that with Renata. When seeking the Military Police of the State of Tocantins, she had the first contact with one of the support points of the Network for Assistance and Tackling Violence against Women. From there, a process of reception and protection began that involved different institutions of the network.
The path included the registration of the occurrence, the monitoring by the protection structures and, subsequently, the granting of an urgent protective measure by the Judiciary of the state of Tocantins, mechanism provided for in the Maria da Penha Law that guarantees immediate safety to victims and establishes legal limits to the aggressor.
In March, the month on which the International Day of Women is celebrated, reflection on tackling gender-based violence and the need to break with this structural problem becomes even more evident. "International Day of Women is fundamental to reflect on the role of the Judiciary in ensuring a life free from violence. As a justice and ombudsman for Woman of the TJTO, I see this date not only as a celebration, but also as a moment to renew practical commitments with female citizenship", highlights Justice Angela Prudente.
"The action of the network is fundamental to ensure full protection for women in situations of violence. This is an inter-institutional effort, and the effectiveness of the actions of the bodies and institutions involved allows for more agile and coordinated responses," says the coordinator of the State Coordination for Women in Domestic and Family Violence (CEVID). of the TJTO, Judge Cirlene Maria de Assis Oliveira.
You will see in this special article of the Day of Women:
✔️Real cases that inspire women to Report (The limit)
✔️Domestic violence data in the state of Tocantins
✔️Service and Tackling Network: You are not alone!
✔️How the Judiciary acts in prevention, not only in punishment
The Limit
For 8 years, "Renata" lived with aggressions that did not always leave visible marks on the body, but caused deep wounds in self-esteem, freedom, the right to live without fear and in the soul.
"It was a war inside the house, too much insusts, too much humiliation. He drank, became aggressive, said he would hit me, that he would kill me. My son used to get in the way to protect me. I was afraid, he hid a knife, he hid everything inside the house," she says.
The first call for help came in a moment of despair. "When it started involving my son, I said: I won’t accept it anymore." A call to the 190 opened the way for protective measures, prisons, psychological support and legal guidance. Still, the aggressor insisted on defying the court rulings.
"Even with an electronic ankle monitor, he kept going around the house, climbing up here on the wall. I received the safety device that whistled when he is nearby. In November, he was arrested several times. He is currently under arrest for failing to comply with judicial decisions”.
Case similar to that of Renata is that of the 3rd sergeant of the Military Advisory of the Court of Justice of the State of Tocantins (Asmil/TJTO), Mahianna Maciel who, although being a military policewoman and a member of the network, both by the PM and the Judiciary, where she operates today, she also lived the cycle of domestic and family violence. She told her story on February 25th, when she granted the interview.
“February 25th of 2026. Today I would be 20 years married, but thank God I got rid of it and today I can speak without crying, tell my story. I, as a professional in the field, participating in everything, even having knowledge about violence against women, did not see that I was in a cycle of abuse. Only those who pass it know,' she exclaims.
She explains that, when she realized that she was being abused, she made a rescue of her own story and realized that it had already been present since the beginning of the marriage.
"I had a perfect date, with a provider, protector, kind and polite guy. But, after two years, we decided to get married and, on the week of the wedding, I saw that I was organizing everything myself and, in the middle of all this, a rumor arose that he was cheating on me. I got nervous, and he went to my mom saying that I was stressed. That was the go-ahead for him to adopt this pattern for 18 years and manipulate my parents against me. So I spent my entire marriage, always passive, enduring everything for a perfect and happy family ideal. I thought: I’m a wise woman, I’ll hold it in."
For years living with the abuses of her husband, Sergeant Mahianna only understood that she was inserted into a cycle of violence after being transferred to Asmil/TJTO and having contact with the prevention and awareness work carried out by the Judiciary. From then on, when she found herself in a deep depression, she began to be attended by experts from the PM and the Psychosocial Support Center of the TJTO (NAPsi), fundamental structures for her recovery and break the cycle.
In 2025, the monthly average reported by PMTO through the Integrated System of Operations (Siop), was 640 allegations of violence against women in the State. This represents more than 20 women asking for help from the 190 in just one day. That is, almost one woman per hour (0.87) seeks support from the network to get rid of abuse through this channel.
Types of violence
Mahianna is a real case of someone who experienced all kinds of domestic and family violence.
Patrimonial violence: "I took care of all the household expenses, and he did not help at all. He said that he was looking after the future of our family, and this future never came. I never knew how much he earned or what he really had. Even using his motorcycle or car, I had to pay for gas and any damage. When there was an accident, he even put in fixes that had no relation to me for me to pay. What was mine was ours; what was his was only his. I separated with nothing, only debts”.
Moral violence: "After the separation, he still came out defaming me, saying that I was destroying the lives of my fatherless children. That I just wanted money, to steal everything he had to live his life”.
Psychological violence: "Emotionally, I lived in constant tension. I always found things about him on social media with other women, going after ex-girlfriends, talking to others. Sometimes he left his email open, and I saw photos of naked women sent to him. When I was charging for explanations, I was the wrong one, the one who made a scandal”.
Sexual violence: "I had forced sex. I was sleeping in the dark, and he came from behind. I said I didn’t want to, cried, vomited, and he wasn’t moved".
Physical violence: "We were on the farm of his family. He had been drinking and started saying unpleasant things. I called him in the room to ask him to stop. That’s when he punched me in the face."
Whatever the type of violence, do not expect the situation to worsen. Seek help.
Paths for report
Women in situations of violence, in the state of Tocantins, have a wide network of channels for denunciation and reception. One of them is the 180 of the Service Center for Women, which operates 24 hours a day, ensuring confidentiality and free connection. In cases of emergency, the 190 of the Military Police ensures immediate assistance.
Also available are the Specialized Delegacies on Service for Women (DEAMs) in several cities of the State and the Virtual Delegation of the Secretariat of Public Security that can be accessed at this link.
In the city of Palmas, the House of Brazilian Women is a reference in tackling gender violence. In the same physical space, the woman finds a Specialized Police Station, a Court Office, State Prosecution, Public Defender’s Office, and social and psychological assistance services to promote economic autonomy.
Justice that prevents, welcomes, and transforms
In the state of Tocantins, the fight against domestic violence goes beyond the direct fight to crimes. The Court of Justice of the State of Tocantins also acts in a structured way in prevention, education and equal access to Justice.
Through the Ombudsman for Woman and CEVID, the Judiciary develops projects, continuous awareness-raising actions, qualified listening and articulation with the protection network, health, social assistance, public security and civil society.
"The Ombudsman for Woman is much more than a communication channel. It is an instrument of citizenship and a space for active listening. Our fundamental role is to ensure that the demands of women receive priority and humanized treatment", emphasized Ângela Prudente.
The justice added: "We contribute to the reception by offering an environment where every woman can be heard, supported and guided without judgment”.
Actions
Created in 2023, the project on Maria in the Communities develops actions to tackle violence against women and promote female empowerment, promoting dialogue between Justice and women of the state of Tocantins.
Projects such as the Red Bank, installed in public spaces, put the Judiciary of the state of Tocantins at the forefront of an international campaign to tackle violence.
Integration
Like Renata and Mahianna, the woman in a situation of domestic, family or gender violence is not alone. It has a network of bodies and institutions in the fight to end violence and feminicide, the Care and Confrontation Network.
On the last February 4th it was signed, among the three powers, Executive, Legislative and Judicial, the Brazilian Pact to Tackle Femicide.
"In the Judiciary of the state of Tocantins, although the impacts are still in the initial phase, the expectation is that the pact will strengthen structuring policies, with the expansion of resources, improvement of information systems and encouragement to good practices," concluded the justice.