Spending so much time here in mountainous Brazil, I decided to join a climbing club. Since Monday was a holiday, five of us decided to spend the afternoon on the rock. As we began hiking the 20-minute trail to the base of our climbing route, we passed a fenced property guarded by dogs. Ten of them, to be exact. And they were barking furiously. But that was okay, because they were on the other side of the fence. Until they weren’t.
One of them escaped from under the fence, and we all began to retreat. The dog bit one of my friends on the behind, one of my friends on the thigh, and me, right behind the knee. After being terrorized for some time, the caretaker eventually came to collect the dog that escaped.
The following day, our group met at the 10th Delegacy Police Department in Botafogo at 7:15 p.m. to make a formal statement. We wanted to inquire about health of the dogs and to simply make sure the fence is repaired to prevent further injuries. We were met with complete resistance and hostility from the authorities – and they proceeded to mock us, fight us, yell at us, impugn us, and accuse us at every opportunity. We sat in the precinct for 4.5 hours before successfully filing our statement.
Throughout the duration of this lengthy and enduring process, I couldn’t help but think that the Brazilian Federal and Civil Police frequently make true victims feel like the culprit.
This practice is repeated in the favelas when the police invade and kill “suspected drug traffickers.” It’s certainly possible that all the suspected drug traffickers are culprits. But it’s also very likely that the police may have killed an innocent victim that they shouldn’t have. Unfortunately, the legal system is so knotted with red tape, no one will ever know.
Also unfortunate is the fact that many officers in Brazil are overworked, underpaid, and couldn’t care less. The legislative process is also arduous and exceedingly complicated. So, in the words of my mother, if you want something done right, you need to do it yourself.
Do your homework about safety. Learn the local laws. Find out what your rights are. Read the small print. Ask questions. Get health insurance. If you have a problem, tell everyone you know! But you need to be prepared to help yourself.
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Sounds like a very unfortunate and sad situation. How will it ever be fixed. Reform is an arduous task needing dedicated and tireless efforts by many. It may seem hopeless to people and that’s why things don’t get done. Someday, should be TODAY for change.