Isabel Cadete

Brazil's first child rights advocate who reformed juvenile justice

Isabel Cadete (1942-2005) was a trailblazing lawyer from Rio de Janeiro who transformed Brazil's approach to juvenile justice. After witnessing street children's plight during 1960s favela crackdowns, she founded the Instituto de Defesa da Criança in 1968. Her landmark 1972 case Cadete v. Brazil established the right to legal representation for minors. She pioneered Brazil's first juvenile diversion programs, reducing youth incarceration rates by 40%. Her 1975 book 《Children, Not Criminals》 became a global reference. Despite death threats from military regime, she continued advocating until her murder in 2005. Her legacy inspired UNICEF's Brazilian child protection system.