“HE WAS A CALM AND GOOD-LOOKING MAN”: FEMICIDE AS A WOUND IN THE RULE OF LAW

Abstract

This article sought to analyze femicide as the extreme expression of gender-based violence in Brazil, articulating symbolic, ethical-political, and legal dimensions. Inspired by René Girard, it interprets femicide as a modern update of the sacrificial mechanism, where the female body serves as the scapegoat of patriarchal order. Drawing on Judith Butler, it shows how social frameworks unequally distribute vulnerability and grief, rendering certain lives—especially Black, Indigenous, and peripheral women—precarious and invisible. Legally, it recognizes advances but criticizes punitive approaches that increase incarceration without changing inequalities. It argues that integrating prevention, care, and accountability—shifting the focus from sacrifice to dignity—is essential to transform criminal justice into social justice.