Rio Cases Put Spotlight on Fire as a Weapon in Violence Against Women

Two recent attacks in Rio de Janeiro state have drawn attention to cases in which men use fire as a weapon against women, a form of violence specialists describe as especially calculated and symbolic. This article is based on single-source reporting from O Globo.

On April 21, 2026, Fabrícia Dias, 30, had half of her body burned after being doused with alcohol in Nova Iguaçu, a city in the Baixada Fluminense area outside Rio. O Globo reported that she suffered injuries to her chest, arm, forearm and head, and remained hospitalized in stable condition while awaiting surgery.

Recent Cases

The main suspect is her former partner, Jefferson Lopes da Silva, 29. According to O Globo, he allegedly set Dias on fire after unsuccessfully trying to resume an 11-year relationship. He fled after the attack, surrendered two days later and was jailed on suspicion of attempted feminicide.

Six days later, Ana Lucia Alves, 64, was found carbonized under a bed after her home was set on fire in São Gonçalo, in Rio’s metropolitan region. O Globo reported that her partner was found at the scene by military police officers with injuries after being attacked by residents.

Alves’s son, Bruno Marins, told O Globo that the suspect claimed the fire had been caused by a cigarette butt. Marins rejected that account, saying neighbors tried to rescue his mother but the suspect allegedly tried to stop them from entering. Rio’s Civil Police said in a note cited by the newspaper that the man was indicted in flagrante for arson resulting in death, a crime carrying a lower penalty than feminicide.

What the Data Show

The 2025 Dossiê Mulher, published by Rio de Janeiro’s Public Security Institute and based on 2024 data, said the method used was not recorded in 58.6% of attempted feminicide cases in the state. Among cases with a specified method, knives or other bladed weapons accounted for 21.2%, while “asphyxiation, poisoning or flammable material” accounted for 12.3%.

In completed feminicides, bladed weapons were the most common method, at 38.3%. “Asphyxiation, poisoning or flammable material” came second, at 23.4%. Homes remained the most frequent crime scene, concentrating 69 completed feminicides, or 64.5%, and 250 attempted feminicides, or 65.4%.

Silvana Mariano, a sociologist who coordinates a feminicide study group at the State University of Londrina, told O Globo that fire is not the most common method, but tends to involve greater planning. She said an aggressor must consider the material, the method and how to protect himself from the flames.

Older Attacks

O Globo also recalled earlier cases in Rio state. In 2009, Rosângela Sá’s former husband invaded her home with a plastic bottle of gasoline and set fire to her face after failing to accept the end of a 21-year relationship. She had burns over 65% of her body, spent two months in an intensive care unit and now works with an NGO in São Gonçalo that supports other victims of violence.

In 2019, Rodrigo Marotti invaded the home of his former girlfriend, Alessandra Vaz, and her friend Daniela Mousinho in Nova Friburgo, in Rio’s mountain region. O Globo reported that he locked the two women in a bathroom, started a fire and used a burning mattress to block the door. Both died after burns to more than 80% of their bodies.

Marotti went to trial for feminicide in 2022, but jurors concluded there was no intent to kill. He was convicted of aggravated arson resulting in death and theft committed during nighttime rest, receiving a sentence of 19 years and four months. O Globo reported that he is now serving the sentence in a semi-open regime.