May 29, 2009
Honduran Police Aid, Abet Trans Murder
By Michelle Garcia
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid87259.asp (http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid87259.asp)
Human Rights Watch released a report on Friday calling on Honduras's police to stop abusing transgender citizens.
According to the international human rights group, transgender people are reporting repeated rape, beatings, extortion, and arbitrary arrests by officers. At least 17 transgender Hondurans have been publicly murdered since 2004, yet none of the killings have led to prosecution.
Juliana Cano Nieto, LGBT researcher for Human Rights Watch, said the state is "failing miserably" at protecting those under the most basic of rights. "The police have an obligation to protect people and to investigate violence, no matter who the victims are," she added.
It is sad that such things go on all over the world. After being attacked a few times, I feel lucky to have received the training that I have.