Lorena Bobbit rose to dubious stardom after she sliced off her husband’s penis in June 1993. Bizarrely, after being acquitted of all charges relating to the attack, Lorena has become a cult figure in Brazilian feminist circles, so much so that many oppressed women are emulating her emasculating style:

- The 17 year old schoolgirl lover of Joas Carlos Mattos, 27, amputated his penis with a knife hidden under a hotel room mattress after he ended their relationship. Terrified, Mattos plunged his blood-spurting organ into an ice bucket and telephoned the police. His girlfriend was put into a juvenile detention centre.

- Eva Maria Pires hacked off her husband’s left testicle in three swipes and flushed it down the toilet after he attempted to force himself upon her in a drunken state. From his hospital bed, he has forgiven her, saying she is just “highly strung”.

- A 19 year old woman threw boiling water over her adulterous husband’s penis after she found lipstick on his collar. He suffered shock and second degree burns.