A Polícia Militar e a violência doméstica contra a mulher: o caso da Patrulha Maria da Penha na região metropolitana de São Luís/MA no período de 2017 a 2024

Abstract

This dissertation examines the role of the Maria da Penha Patrol of the Military Police of Maranhão in the inspection and monitoring of Urgent Protective Measures (UPMs) in the Metropolitan Region of São Luís, Maranhão, between 2017 and 2024, in light of the Maria da Penha Law and State Decree No. 31.763/2006. The study is based on the understanding that gender violence against women constitutes a historical expression of unequal and hierarchical power relations between men and women, sustained by patriarchal ideology and reproduced within the social, political, economic, and cultural structures of Brazilian society. In this context, the research discusses the role of public policies aimed at combating violence against women and the performance of the Military Police as an institution historically marked by repressive practices and social control, but which has gradually become part of contemporary public security mechanisms focused on protection and citizenship. The study adopted the historical-dialectical materialism method, seeking to understand the investigated phenomenon in its totality, historicity, and contradictions. A qualitative and quantitative approach was employed through bibliographical research, documentary analysis, field research, and action research. Data collection techniques included semi-structured interviews with military police officers assigned to the Maria da Penha Patrol, as well as participant observation of the unit’s operational and administrative activities. The findings revealed that the Maria da Penha Patrol constitutes an important public mechanism for monitoring Urgent Protective Measures and strengthening the relationship between the State and women experiencing domestic violence. However, the investigation also identified significant structural and institutional limitations, such as reduced personnel, precarious material and logistical resources, the need for greater professional qualification, and weaknesses in the interinstitutional articulation of the protection network. The study concludes that strengthening the Maria da Penha Patrol requires structural investments, expansion of specialized personnel, continuous professional training, and more effective integration among institutions within the protection network, in order to ensure greater effectiveness of the public policy for monitoring and supervising Urgent Protective Measures. This research contributes to the advancement of academic and professional debates concerning the relationship between gender, public policies, and public security, while also providing support for the improvement of institutional actions aimed at protecting women in situations of violence.