Murdered on International Day Against Transphobia: Homicides in Fiji a hate crime



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Published

July 23, 2018 19:06:55

LGBTI community members in Fiji believe that the recent brutal murder of a young transgender woman is a hate crime.

Key Points:

  • Ms. Salavuki Died after Blunt Trauma to the Head
  • LGBTI Community Does not Trust Police

According to local media reports, Akuila Salavuki's body has was found in a pool of blood on the foreshore of Suva in May and she was dead

This is the second hate crime suspected of murder since September when a homobadual student was found died north of the city.

Ms. Salavuki was found dead on the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Head Injury. "It was brutal, it was really devastating for the community," said Sulique Waqa, artistic director of the transgender rights group Haus of Khameleon.

Ms. Waqa stated that Ms. Salavuki, 23, nicknamed "Lucky", had She just identified as a transgender woman.

Friends and family described him as an outgoing personality always wanting to make others smile.

Ms. Salavuki was to graduate from college next year and was a popular member of the "Lucky was really extrovert, Lucky was a really happy person," says Ms. Waqa.

"Lucky was so excited to contribute to conversations about protecting LGBTs [bad, gay, bibadual and transgender] in youth, Fiji, and for us to learn later that Lucky was murdered because of the fact that he was killed. she was trans, and that she was targeted [because of] it was really sad. "

<img src =" http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/10026942 -3×2-700×467.jpg "alt =" A smile looks into the camera for a photo. [19659017] Photo:
Friends and family have described Akuila Salavuki as an outgoing personality who is always eager to make others smile.

Ms. Waqa said that she had no doubt that Ms. Salavuki had been murdered because her gender identity was not in keeping with the conservative, predominantly Christian, social norms of Fiji. 19659008] "Because we are talking about someone who is open about their badual identity, their badual orientation and their favorite expression … which makes them more vulnerable to violence," she said.

that Ms. Salavuki was trans or that her murder was a suspected hate crime.

Last September, the mutilated body of a 21-year-old homobadual student, Iosefo Magnus, was found in Nasinu, north of Suva

. they treat both cases as alleged murders, but have made little comment on their investigations so far.

Ms. Waqa said that people in the LGBTI community thought that the police did not take the cases seriously and no one trusted them.

"From what we've heard and lived personal experience – absolutely not," she said.

"There is a lack of trust in the Fiji police force to fear discrimination, harbadment and violence that really discourage LGBT people from working in cooperation with law enforcement, particularly with the police. cases of hate crimes, "she said. Topics:

gender roles,

murder-and-manslaughter,

criminality,

Fiji

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