Images from security cameras captured the moment in which a man drags a bag containing the body of transsexual Jhenifer Luiza, 26, and then abandons it in a vacant lot in the Jardim Eldorado neighborhood, in Guaíra, in the interior of São Paulo. The 26-year-old girl had been missing since Thursday (14), and was found dead on Monday morning (18).
According to the Civil Police, the man seen in the images was identified and arrested. According to delegate Rafael Faria Domingos, from the Barretos Section, the 22-year-old suspect was already a fugitive from Pernambuco Justice after a 17-year sentence resulting from a robbery. At the police station, he confessed that he participated in hiding Jhenifer's body, but named another man as responsible for the death.
This other man, aged 24, was also arrested. He was also a fugitive due to a conviction for drug trafficking in Itanhaém, on the coast of São Paulo. During interrogation, the suspect denied responsibility for the murder and blamed the other prisoner. The motivation for the crime has not yet been clarified, and the police chief requested the temporary arrest of the two men.
The Public Security Secretariat (SSP) confirmed that the suspects were taken to the Colina public jail. The case was registered as homicide and concealment of a corpse at the Barretos Sectional Police Station.
In the images recorded by the cameras, it is possible to see the moment in which the man appears dragging what appears to be a plastic bag along the street with the help of a cart. The incident occurred around 5pm last Saturday (16). Then, another camera shows the suspect abandoning the body in a field.
Through social media, the city of Guaíra mourned the death of Jenifer Luiza and expressed solidarity with her family and friends. The municipal administration also repudiated the crime of transphobia that occurred in the city.
According to information from the city hall, Jenifer was always present at Guaíra Social Solidarity Fund events, including as a representative of Musa Trans Verão, a title she earned.
“As a result of this and out of respect for her and her family, the Best Age Ball with the theme of Women's Month, which would have been held this Friday (22), was cancelled. There is no reason to celebrate anything in this moment of grief and monstrosity that occurred with a representative of the LGBTQIAPN+ community and who had so much joy in life”, states the note.
Violence against trans people
According to data from the dossier on murders and violence against transvestites and transsexuals in 2023, released in January by Antra (National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals), murders of transgender people increased by more than 10% in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Among the deaths recorded, there were 145 homicides and 10 suicides. The youngest trans person murdered in Brazil was just 13 years old.
In 2019, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) decided to criminalize homophobia and transphobia, which are now covered by the Racism Law. In the decision, the Court defined conduct that “involves hateful aversion to someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity” as a crime.
Source: CNN Brasil
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