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Violence Against Women: 10 Reports / Year 2003Adultery, while still being considered as a crime by article 240 of thepenal code, only calls for a light sentence of 15 days up to six months.This charge cannot be brought if the couple is separated or divorced.In the state of Pernambuco, 70% of the 415 women killed in 1992 weremurdered by a male intimate. In 1998 the National Movement for HumanRights estimated that female murder victims were 30 times more likely tobe killed by current or former husbands and lovers than by other people. 46In a research regarding 110 honour crimes’ trials in the state of RioGrande do Norte, 47 the great majority refer to husbands and companionsnot contented with their spouses’ decision to separate, or out of jealousy.In 1995 in Upanema, a jury composed of seven women absolved a mancharged with stabbing his wife and mother of their five children to death,upon her accusation of him “not being a man.” In 1993 a husband stabbedhis wife to death because he was being “betrayed,” after 27 years of marriedlife. Sentenced to 7 years in jail in part-time imprisonment, he isunder conditional liberty since he has accomplished a third of his penalty.In another case, an accused married to the victim for five years used tobeat her until she left him. He then came to her mother’s house and shother in the head. The crime was proven to be premeditated and the accusedwas sentenced to 18 years in full-time imprisonment. After spending 4years and 2 months in jail, which corresponds to 1/6 th of the sentence, hewas allowed a part-time regime in 1995, and since 1997 he has beengranted conditional liberty.According to other relevant data provided by the research in the state ofRio Grande do Norte, 48 quite a few murders happen in retaliation towomen’s complaints at the special women police stations for being beaten.Even when the crime has been witnessed by several people the murderersare able to run away, receive permission to await trial in liberty or get shortpenalties. The relative impunity of homicidal husbands in Brazil contributesto the perception that men are able to exercise control over theirwives, particularly over their sexual freedom, as if they were their “property”,since the jury tends in quite a few cases to support this view andapprove infidelity or neglect by the women as justification for their death.80