Did the people around her also think that the family was doing her a huge favor by keeping her? Would it have taken a long time to be denounced if it had been a man? And if she was black, would anyone ever be reported? Are there no other people close to her house who are in the same situation as her, or even within her family?
In early February, a 55-year-old woman with a disability was rescued by the Public Ministry of Labor (MPT/RS) for living more than 40 years in a situation analogous to slavery. She suffered physical and psychological violence and was also forbidden to go out alone and interact with other people. In addition to doing all the housework with no workload limit, she had no formal employment record, did not receive any remuneration, was never registered or integrated into the social assistance network, nor did she attend school or any institution for people with disabilities. After she was rescued, she was sent to an institution that welcomes people with disabilities.
This news caused me mixed feelings. I was relieved that she had been rescued, but I also felt a “twist” in my stomach because I found out that this woman was a few kilometers away from me, as she and I live in the same city. Not to mention that I was very distressed, questioning whether the institution's professionals are able-bodied and whether it would be a good place for her to live after so many years of suffering.
Few news portals talked about the subject, but this was not a surprise to me, since the invisibility of this case demonstrates not only the devaluation of female work, but also the structural capacitism that tends to allow the isolation of men and women with disabilities even today.
Years ago, the practice of keeping people with disabilities “incarcerated”, hidden inside the house, was common, as they were not recognized as human beings worthy of rights, but of charity. Offering a little room, some clothes and food to people with disabilities was already considered more than enough, they should even be grateful for not being abandoned. In other words, we can say that the rights of these individuals were equal to those of animals.
I guarantee that in your childhood you also had a neighbor who everyone laughed at the way she spoke and who barely appeared at the window. Or do you remember a child of the same age as yours, who rarely left the house because he walked “weirdly”. I myself remember having a great-aunt who, since I was born, lived in an elderly residence, drugged and abandoned, after giving birth to a baby and going “crazy” (probably with postpartum depression). Well, there were thousands of people with disabilities who lived in the same situation of social isolation, violence, negligence and who knows what else!
Those who think that this is no longer a reality are wrong, since this social ideal is rooted in our culture even today. Proof of this is the case of this woman who took 40 years for the neighbors to realize that something was wrong. Did the people around her also think that the family was doing her a huge favor by keeping her? Would it have taken a long time to be denounced if it had been a man? And if she was black, would anyone ever be reported? Are there no other people close to her house who are in the same situation as her, or even within her family?
I leave the questions not as criticisms, but with the purpose of increasing the visibility of this case and also promoting a joint reflection on it. After all, I believe that all of us, including you, have the power to transform our surroundings and prevent other crimes like this from happening again.
If you are already suspicious of any situation of violation of the rights of any person, be sure to report it:
- Call 100 for complaints involving children, the elderly and people with disabilities;
- Call 180 for complaints involving violence against women;
- Contact Social Assistance in your city through CRESS or CRASS to make any type of complaint.
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Carolini Constantino is a social worker, researcher, feminist and woman with a disability. She is project coordinator at the Helen Keller Feminist Collective for Women with Disabilities .
Paloma Santos is an illustrator, wheelchair user and feminist. "In my work as an illustrator I try to represent female diversity".
