Six of 33 gang-rape suspects captured by police in Brazil

Rai de Souza, 22, suspected of being involved in the gang rape of a teenage girl, with a video of the assault circulated widely on social media, is escorted at the Police Station for crimes against minors in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 30, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil's police launched an operation on Monday to successfully capture six men wanted for their alleged involvement in gang raping a 16-year-old girl on May 21, a case which has shocked the South American country.

The police indicated via a press release that the operation also aims to discover and retain the computers and cellphones of those who are accused of participating in the rape which took place in the Sao Jose Operario neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro's western area.

The rape case has shocked the Brazilian public after the teenager was sexually assaulted by 33 men in a populous area in western Rio de Janeiro.

The victim had been attending a party in the area along with her boyfriend and some friends before the incident happened, according to information given by authorities to local news portal Veja.

The case came to light after several of the rapists spread photos and videos of the teenager while she was being abused.

The girl was allegedly drugged when all this was happening and has no memory of the incident. The next day when the girl awoke "naked and bloody" she began to realize what must have happened.

After the event the girl went missing until a neighbor returned her to her home on May 25. As of yet, no more details have been given of the victim's disappearance.

During an interview with national television network Globo broadcast on Sunday evening, the girl said she felt humiliated at the police station where she gave her statement.

"Even the (police) representative blamed me," said the 16-year-old while adding "he tried to incriminate me, as if I was to blame for being raped."

The police department removed the representative from the case due to the complaints presented.

The teenager, with a 3-year-old son, will join the Protection Program for Children and Adolescents. Out of fear, the young mother has also left her home with her family and they are all currently under police protection.

The case has opened up the debate surrounding sexual violence in Brazil where in 2014 over 47,000 cases of rape were reported to the police. This equates to one rape every 11 minutes, according to the Brazilian Public Safety Annual from 2014. Many of these cases went unpunished.