Damares’ hotline already handles ‘considerable number’ of anti-vaccinations

The Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights has already received “a considerable number” of complaints from citizens who said they had suffered discrimination for having refused the Covid-19 vaccine.

The complaints were made on Dial 100 — the main channel for complaints of human rights violations of children, women, the elderly, people with disabilities and the LGBTQIA+ population.

report of leaf published on the 27th revealed the existence of a technical note prepared by the ministry of Damares Alves that attacks the vaccination passport. The document also criticizes the mandatory immunization of children.

The ministry, in the note, makes Dial 100 available to anti-vaccinations. In a note to the report, the folder confirmed that complaints have reached the channel.

“Even without the specific availability of the channel for the population to register this type of complaint, a considerable number of citizens registered complaints related to the topic because they understood that their human rights were being violated”, said the ministry.

“The National Human Rights Ombudsman does not make a value judgment on what is being reported, and only forwards [as queixas] to Organs competent bodies”, the folder also said.

The report questioned how many complaints were received and forwarded. According to the ministry, a longer period is needed for processing the information.

THE leaf He also asked if Dial 100 operators had already been trained to register these complaints.

The folder stated that there was no specific training “nor was a flow created to receive this type of complaint”. “Complaints are handled on a case-by-case basis.”

“We confirm, however, that the attendants were trained, still in 2020, to deal with complaints of human rights violations resulting from the pandemic. This service was widely publicized by the ministry, at a time when there was not even talk of mandatory vaccination or no.”

THE leaf made two calls to Dial 100 without identifying the report. At the beginning of the call, the option is offered to “make a complaint related to the violation of human rights caused by the coronavirus”.

An attendant explained that it is possible to denounce both establishments that bar unvaccinated people and, on the other hand, people who have not been vaccinated and who would put others at risk.

In the case of the first option, object of the technical note prepared by the Ministry of Damares, the whistleblower must present the suspect’s name in front of the establishment and the address.

It is possible to make an indirect complaint, without the complainant having experienced discrimination, but having witnessed the alleged violation of rights. This also requires the suspect’s name and address.

In a letter to Damares, the federal prosecutor for Citizens’ Rights, Carlos Alberto Vilhena, set a period of ten days for the minister to explain whether the ministry “has taken or intends to take any concrete action to formally make the Dial 100 channel available for complaints.” of anti-vaccines.

The PFDC (Federal Prosecutor’s Office for Citizens’ Rights) is a collegiate body that works within the scope of the PGR (Attorney General’s Office).

The request for an explanation was made after the report by the leaf on the technical note. The folder document, completed on January 19, was signed by three secretaries and a director.

The technical note was endorsed by Damares, who forwarded it to ministries, such as the Economy and the Labor and Welfare, as of the 21st of the same month.

The of complaints, which can be accessed through Dial 100″, says the technical note.

The PFDC then demanded three more explanations from Damares: whether the technical note represents the ministry’s position; what basis did the ministry use to consider a public health measure provided for by law and endorsed by the STF (Federal Supreme Court) a violation of human rights; and whether the National Human Rights Ombudsman will be compelled to receive anti-vaccination complaints.

For Vilhena, who is deputy attorney general of the Republic, the ministry’s conduct is “worthy of concern”.

The federal prosecutor sent the letter with the questions before a decision on whether or not to ask for the opening of an investigation into the acts of the folder.

According to members of the National Human Rights Ombudsman, Dial 100 has received a significant amount of complaints related to the vaccination of children against Covid-19.

The opening of the channel to anti-vaccines was criticized by the CNDH (National Council for Human Rights), in a public note released on the 1st. The body is linked to the Damares portfolio, but has collegiate and independent action.

“The ministry’s manifestation is regrettable, especially in the position of providing one of the main channels for denouncing human rights violations, Dial 100, as a tool for denouncing rights that have not even been violated”, said the CNDH.

The ministry, in turn, stated that there was no Dial 100 available for the population to speak out against vaccination.

“The technical note only opens consultation to the bodies to which it was sent to verify if they consider it important that this service be activated. This fact was only made public after the report by the Folha de S.Paulo“, he said.

“The channel was not made available to the population for this type of complaint. The aforementioned technical note was sent to ministries and other public bodies, and was only published to avoid misinformation promoted by this vehicle. Dial 100 was made available to the bodies, if they deemed it necessary,” he said.