PHYSICAL VIOLENCE AGAINST PREGNANT WOMEN DURING THE COVID-19

INTRODUCTION: Physical violence against pregnant women is a serious violation of human rights, with profound implications for the health of women and babies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, measures such as social isolation and restrictions on activities have exacerbated the problem, making it difficult for victims to access support networks and contributing to an increase in cases of domestic violence. Thus, pregnancy, which should be a period of care and protection, often becomes a time of risk, in which physical aggression compromises maternal and fetal well-being. AIMS: To analyze the circumstances and context of cases of physical aggression against pregnant women treated at the Scientific Police Unit of Curitiba, from 2019 to 2021. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study, part of a roader study on physical violence against women before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on the analysis of secondary data from forensic reports. From a database of 5,033 records, 30 reports on pregnant women were identified by searching for keywords related to pregnancy. The data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The qualitative analysis adopted the Thematic Content Analysis Technique (Bardin), with the aid of ATLAS.ti 9 software, allowing coding and categorization into thematic axes. The quantitative variables included the date of the examination, place of origin of the request, marital status, relationship, and gender of the aggressor, analyzed by descriptive statistics in IBM SPSS 25.0. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of PUCPR (approval number 4,720,098). RESULTS: Of the 30 cases, 43.3% occurred in 2019, 20% in 2020, and 36.7% in 2021. In 53.3% of the cases, the perpetrator was the partner, followed by acquaintances (13.3%), family members (10%), ex-partners (10%), and strangers (10%). The majority (73.3%) sought help at the Women’s Police Station, 20% at Police Districts, and 6.7% at other locations. Regarding marital status, 60% were single, 20% were married, and 20% were divorced/separated/legally separated or in other situations. The aggressor was male in 76.7% of cases, female in 16.7%, and not reported in 6.7%. The assaults occurred in all trimesters of pregnancy, mainly at home, but also in public spaces. Various types of violence were identified—shoving, punching, kicking, slapping, strangulation, use of knives, hair pulling, biting, and objects—often combined in the same episode; some of the victims reported a history of violence and a lack of seeking medical care. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: The reduction observed in 2020 may be related to underreporting in the first year of the pandemic, marked by barriers to accessing reporting and support services. Violence against pregnant women took different forms, affecting women at all stages of pregnancy, and generated six categories for discussion: perpetrator; location of the assault; previous assault; outcome; gestational age; and type of assault. Strengthening the support network, with integration between health, public safety, and social assistance, is essential to adequately welcome, protect, and refer victims, minimizing risks and impacts for mother and baby.

KEYWORDS: Violence Against Women; Domestic Violence; Pregnant Women; COVID-19; Maternal and Child Health.