Brazilian police are searching for at least 30 people suspected in the alleged gang rape of a 16-year-old girl and of posting graphic video and images of her on social media that have shocked the South American country.
The 40-second-video showed an undressed, unconscious woman lying on a bare mattress. She was being filmed by two men, both fully dressed, who took turns manhandling and mocking her.
The footage set off a firestorm on social media and brought national attention to the reported gang-rape of a 16-year-old by as many as 33 men in Rio de Janeiro over the weekend — a crime the police had no knowledge of until social media users contacted them.
At a press conference Friday, police said they had identified four people who were involved, including one man who appeared in the video, the girl’s boyfriend and two people who were heard on the video.
Police are investigating not only rape allegations but also possible violations of Brazil’s Internet laws.