In São Gonçalo, Brazil, 20-year-old Alana Anisio Rosa politely declined repeated advances from a man at her gym who had been sending her flowers and chocolates. A month later, in February, the man forced his way into her family home and stabbed her approximately 50 times with a pocket knife in a frenzied attack. Alana survived after being placed in an induced coma and undergoing multiple surgeries. The suspect faces trial, with the case highlighting Brazil’s persistent struggle with high rates of gender-based violence.
As Alana recovered, a disturbing misogynistic trend exploded on TikTok in Brazil, with videos showing men beating and stabbing mannequins or punching bags under slogans like “Training in case she says ‘no.'” drawing millions of views. Alana’s mother has suggested the attacker consumed such material, raising alarms that algorithmic radicalization may be fueling real-world attacks in a country already grappling with elevated levels of femicide and misogyny.
