BRAZIL Man attempted to rob a butcher shop in one of Brazil’s favelas. Local residents noticed him through the storefront window and decided to intervene. A crowd gathered at the scene, restrained the robber, and beat him to death.
Brazilian favelas generally operate under different laws than areas outside them. They are territories controlled by gangs, where police do not have daily access and have only limited ability to enforce the country’s laws. In some favelas, lynching is considered normal, while in others, thieves are brought before a gang’s criminal tribunal, which decides their punishment.
