Women's reports of violence before and during COVID-19 in Curitiba-PR, Brazil: an analysis of forensic reports.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the epidemiological profile of women who experienced physical violence before and during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic from reports of corpus delicti performed at the Forensic Medical Institute, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This study used a retrospective cross-sectional design and secondary data analysis of cases of injuries caused by physical violence against women between 2019 and 2021 contained in Forensic Medical Institute reports. Only records of physical violence examinations performed on women were eligible for inclusion. Reports that did not allow for the identification of the victim's gender, as well as those referring to other physical violence that did not involve aggression, were excluded. Data were collected electronically. The variables analyzed were age, ethnicity, marital status, sex, and relationship with the aggressor. A bivariate analysis using Pearson's chi-square test was conducted to assess associations between the outcome (year) and independent variables. For significant associations, pairwise comparisons of proportions were made using the Z-test, with Bonferroni correction applied to control for Type I errors. Variables with p-values ≤ 0.05 were considered significant. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 25.0.

RESULTS

In total, 5033 reports of physical violence against women were included in the study. In 2020, a greater proportion of personal injury examinations were observed in white women than in 2019 and 2021 (p < 0.001). Single women are the most vulnerable to physical violence in 2020 and 2021 (p < 0.001). During the same years, assaults by men, partners, former partners, and family members were more prevalent than in 2019 (p < 0.001). The Women's Police Station was the sought-after place for reporting cases.

CONCLUSION

Over the two pandemic years analyzed, a significant reduction in the number of physical violence examinations conducted at the Forensic Medical Institute was observed. Nevertheless, single women, particularly those subjected to male-perpetrated violence, including by partners, ex-partners, and relatives, sought forensic services with greater frequency compared to the pre-pandemic period. Furthermore, the Women's Police Station was the most frequently utilized facility for reporting such incidents.