Police unit treats girls from Brazilian slum to a fairy-tale evening
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Sixteen girls from one of Rio de Janeiro's biggest slums have celebrated a fairy-tale evening in a debutante ball sponsored by local police.
The 15-year-old girls from Mangueira wore long evening gowns and fancy hairdos as they were driven in a pink limousine to the samba school where the ball was held Thursday night.
The ball was organized by the Peacemaking Police Unit installed in Mangueira last year.
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The unit is one of several in a program aimed at improving the city's security before the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.
Debutante balls have been a custom among upper-middle-class and wealthy Brazilian families. They mark a girl's transition from childhood to adulthood.