A 25-year-old transgender woman who is imprisoned at a Sao Paulo, Brazil, jail was attacked by police, who shaved her head and forced her to strip down before beating her, the Daily Mail reports. Veronica Bolina's face was left swollen and bruised. The woman is currently in jail for attacking a 73-year-old neighbor.

Pictures showing her face disfigured sparked outrage and concern for her safety as this is the third time she's been handled by officers in a violent way while being custody.
The police say other prisoners attacked Bolina when they saw her touching herself in a sexual manner and that officers attempted to stop the scuffle. The police add that she received the injuries while they were intervening.

Bolina has been moved to another facility where she has a cell to her self. The police say they are investigating the incident. In Brazil, police violence is an issue. There have been more than 11,000 people killed by law enforcement officers between 2009 and 2013, according to the Forum on Public Safety. 
If these images did not leak online, who knows whether Bolina's story would have been heard and whether the prison would have been held accountable for her treatment.
 
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(Photo: Justiça para Veronica Bolina via Facebook)