Before the STF decision, the victim had to file a lawsuit. If she was assaulted but chose not to report it, nothing could be done. And there was still the possibility of the woman withdrawing the complaint in the face of pressure from the aggressor. Now, in the event of complaints, for example from neighbors, the Public Prosecutor's Office will be able to sue the person responsible for the aggression, removing this pressure from the woman.
In the judgment, which was 10-1, only the president of the STF, Cezar Peluso, voted to maintain the need for representation by the battered woman. The justices said that in most cases the woman gave up the complaint after suffering psychological and economic pressure from the aggressor. However, with the understanding adopted tonight by the court, this pressure no longer exists.