including living in a constant state of alert due to fear of retribution and further physical and emotional harm.

Women interviewed also expressed serious concern that police and/or the judiciary would not believe their reports. These perceptions appear to be rooted in low self-esteem, perpetrators’ expectation of impunity, and discouraging attitudes of informal networks, but also in women’s own negative experiences in reporting violence. Together, perceptions of inadequate response from law enforcement and justice services contribute to women’s considerations that their actions to report violence will be in vain. Abusers also reinforce these fears: “He used to say, ‘there is no point in going anywhere for help because the judicial system doesn’t lead anywhere. You have to do what I want and that is it . . . the Maria da Penha Law is there, but there is no point. When we want to do something, we will do it and that is it. We may get arrested, but soon we come out.’ And it’s true.” While many women had contemplated denouncing their abusers, and some had already registered complaints, only a few proceeded with legal processes because of their negative perceptions, experiences and the risks associated with punitive action.

Several women described experiences in police stations that reinforced feelings of humiliation, guilt and shame. Many commented that, as they arrived to file a complaint, they were received by male police officers who did not treat them respectfully and minimized the seriousness of their cases. In one case, a male police officer discouraged the woman from reporting the crimes of her abuser, stating that she "should not leave her husband because he was sick." A woman in Nova Iguaçú reported, “They say I'm crazy and that I am old. They said I threw myself on the floor on purpose.” Rude, demeaning treatment and long service times left women feeling humiliated and frustrated.

Women who sought help in women’s police stations (DEAMs) generally had more favorable experiences, except for one stand-out case. In most cases, women reported that police in the DEAMs attended them and listened calmly and explained the ways they could continue the process. Negative experiences of women seeking justice services serve as powerful reminders of the need for consistent and repetitive training of police personnel, even within specialized services. For example, one woman recounted an exchange with the officer in the DEAM in Nova Iguaçú: “He said he would kill me, and I went [to the DEAM]. When I arrived at the police station willing to report there was a policeman who said, ‘Does he drink?’ I said, ‘He does.’ ‘Does he have a firearm?’ ‘No.’ ‘Ma’am, can’t you see that this man needs help? This man needs to be forwarded to Alcoholics Anonymous, not that you file a report against him.’ This was in the women’s police station! I was already humiliated, I felt even more humiliated and left without reporting the case. I never returned but it is still something that stays with me because I think the women’s police station should only have women – it shouldn’t have men.” Data from Brazil show public perception of the effectiveness of Maria da Penha Act in protecting women against domestic and family violence: 26 percent believe the law protects women, 56 percent that the law protects only partially, and 20 percent thought that the law did not protect women (DataSenado 2017). Among women who said they had not suffered violence, only 17 percent said that MdP did not protect women; however, among those who reported having been survivors of some form of domestic or family violence, the percentage rose to 29 percent (DataSenado 2017).

# _Lack of Information_

Skepticism of the effectiveness of protective and justice services is compounded by the lack of understanding of the MdP law and other services available to women in situations of violence. Avon (2011) acknowledges information gaps relative to the outcomes of MdP when a victim takes action. In its _19_