WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT
A police investigation is underway after a trans woman was tied and beaten as Brazilian cops apparently looked on without doing anything.
The Municipal Guards of Teresina, the capital and most populous municipality in the Brazilian state of Piaui, said they initiated an investigation after a trans woman, whose identity was not disclosed, was brutally attacked on Monday morning (19th July).
Video footage of the incident was posted on various social networks showing the trans woman, who was suspected of robbery, being beaten with a piece of wood while tied in a car boot.
Despite the poor woman’s attempts to defend herself, the men continue the act while they keep asking for information regarding a gas canister and a necklace, which they claim she stole.
In the footage, a man trips the victim, whose feet are tied with a rope, while municipal guards apparently look on without taking any action.
After the video went viral, the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals of Brazil (ANTRA) criticised the aggressive act and demanded legal action.
The Municipal Civil Guard said in a statement: “The Municipal Civil Guard of Teresina (GCM) confirms that we have responded to an incident in the residential Parque Brasil III in the north of Teresina this Monday (19th).
“Upon arriving at the scene, the team found a tied trans woman suspected of robbing apartments in the region. After hearing those involved, the members of the corporation who were following the incident ordered the alleged aggressor to untie her.
“Subsequently, the suspect [trans woman] was handcuffed and, together with the alleged aggressor, they were taken to the Central de Flagrantes in Teresina for further investigation.
“About the video apparently showing the suspect being beaten in the boot of a car, GCM did not witness the fact, as our officers arrived at the scene later. Under no circumstances does the Municipal Civil Guard of Teresina advocate that civilians should take justice into their own hands. Finally, the GCM will assess whether there were any faults in the procedure.”
The investigation continues.
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