On March 14 and May 30, 2025, Russian– and Georgian-language Facebook accounts posted photos depicting a case of violence against a woman. The woman’s face shows multiple injuries. According to the accompanying description, the 22-year-old woman had been held captive for seven months by the Ukrainian armed forces, during which time she was subjected to sexual abuse and torture. The posts claim that on the morning of March 12, Russian forces found the woman approximately 200 meters east of the Russian positions and transferred her to a peaceful area.
The case of violence against the woman described by Facebook users has no connection to the Russia-Ukraine war. In reality, the photo, taken in 2019, shows 55-year-old Brazilian landscape designer Elaine Peres Caparroz, who was brutally beaten for four hours by jiu-jitsu fighter Vinicius Batista Serra.
The woman shown in the photo is not related to the Russia-Ukraine war. Both images depict 55-year-old Brazilian landscape designer Elaine Peres Caparroz. In 2019, Brazilian media reported that in Rio de Janeiro, Elaine Caparroz was beaten for four hours by 27-years-old jiu-jitsu fighter Vinicius Batista Serra. The injuries seen in the photo were sustained during this incident.
In an interview with Brazilian media outlet O’Globo, Caparroz recalled that Vinicius Serra insisted on meeting her at the apartment after learning she lived alone. They had previously communicated online. According to her, Serra likely drugged her, causing Caparrozz to lose consciousness. When she woke up, he began beating her. She sustained multiple injuries and required 60 stitches.
According to CNN Brazil, Vinicius Batista Serra was arrested, but the court ruled that the defendant committed the attacks due to violent behavior caused by a disorder called parasomnia. The judge stated that although the aggression was confirmed and the defendant admitted to the crime, he was not sentenced to prison. Instead, the court ordered Serra to continue outpatient treatment, visit a medical facility once a month, take medication, and then undergo a new evaluation.
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