A trans woman was out drinking with her friends. Minutes later, she was shot to death by a gang of thugs
J F do Nascimento Martins, a Brazilian trans woman, was shot to death while sipping drinks with friends. (Facebook)
A trans woman was out drinking with her friends Monday night outside an apartment complex in Bayeux, Brazil.
Minutes later, the road was thronged by armed men who gunned J F do Nascimento Martins.
She tried to flee into the building to protect herself, but died shortly after from her fatal injuries, local outlets reported.
What happened?
The attack took place at a R Arnaldo de Oliveira Lima residence in the São Bento neighbourhood, dotted with churches and clothing outlets.
Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência staff were called to the scene, but medics were unable to save the 27-year-old.
Local law enforcement stated that the crime may have been linked to drug trafficking.
The suspect remains unidentified, but police note that the case has been strained by witnesses refusing to cooperate with the authorities.
Trans rights in Brazil.
Despite the criminalisation of homophobia and transphobia, Brazil is the deadliest country in the world for trans people.
Revellers participate in the 2019 Sao Paulo Gay Pride parade. (Cris Faga/NurPhoto via Getty)
According to Transrespect Versus Transphobia Worldwide, Brazil has been the site of around 130 reported killings of trans and gender-diverse people between October 2018 and September 2019.
In 2019, the country witnessed 124 trans folk murdered, a dossier produced by the Associação Nacional de Travestis e Trasnexuais stated.
Moreover, the northeast of Brazil – where Monday’s attack occurred – is where the majority of cases take place. Around 45 trans people were murdered last year.
Out of all recorded killings across the globe, the sprawling country has witnessed the most killings. But these figures understate the problems, as misgendering by family, media and officials are common.
President Jair Bolsonaro has previously called himself a “proud homophobe” and has said he would rather have dead son than a gay one.
Trans folk, one of the most marginalised and vulnerable communities in Brazil, have been haunted by a spectre of violence in recent years. Activists have warned that Bolsonaro has done little to tackle this.
In fact, some LGBT+ groups have warned, he has done more to fan flames of hatred in the country.
