Brazil Woman, Stabbed 40 Times For Refusing To Date Man, Attends Her Attacker's Trial | Video

Last Updated:April 19, 2026, 16:16 IST

Alana Rosa, 20, politely turned down the man from her gym who kept sending her flowers and chocolates. He later broke into her home and stabbed her 40 times.

Alana Anisio Rosa, a 20-year-old woman in Brazil, showed up at the trial of Luis Felipe Sempaio, the man accused of attempting to kill her after she refused to date him, an incident which triggered a furious debate over domestic violence in the country.

Rosa politely turned down the man from her gym who kept sending her flowers and chocolates. A month later, in February, Sempaio broke into her home in São Gonçalo and reportedly stabbed her more than 40 times.

Rosa’s mother, Jaderluce Anisio de Oliveira, 53, told AFP at the time, “He just kept stabbing her, over and over again. I pulled him off her. My entire living room was covered in blood."

Rosa was placed in an induced coma and underwent multiple surgeries before eventually recovering. The case shocked Brazil and drew national attention not only for its brutality, but for rampant misogynistic content on social media and crimes against women.

Disturbing videos on social media went viral in Brazil of men beating and stabbing mannequins with the slogan, framed as a response to women saying ‘no.’ Rosa’s mother believes her daughter’s attacker had engaged with this type of content online, raising fears about how such material may influence behaviour in the real world.

Violence Against Women In Brazil

Experts have warned that misogynistic comments on social media may be contributing to crimes against women in Brazil, which is already struggling with high rates of gender-based violence.

In January, after a 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by five teenagers in Rio, one of the suspects turned himself in to police wearing a T-shirt that read “Regret Nothing" — a phrase linked to prominent influencers who engage in this type of content.

Two months later, a military policeman was arrested for allegedly shooting his wife, who wanted a divorce. In text messages published by local media, he describes himself as an “alpha male," saying she should be an “obedient, submissive, beta female."

Brazil recorded 1,568 murders of women in 2025, the highest number since femicide became a crime a decade ago. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said recently that “men are becoming increasingly inhuman and violent."

(with inputs from AFP)

News world Brazil Woman, Stabbed 40 Times For Refusing To Date Man, Attends Her Attacker's Trial | Video

Read More