Petrelis Files

Transgender Woman Burned to Death
in Italian Political Scandal

(Brenda, murdered transgender woman.
Photo credit: EPA.)

Yesterday was the 11th annual International Transgender Remembrance Day, a day to recall all the murdered and bashed trans-persons in the previous year. It was also the day the body of a Brazilian-born transgender woman, so far IDed as Brenda, was found in the Lazio region of Italy. Brenda was burned to death, and according to news reports, no suspect has been arrested in her death.

From Reuters:

A Brazilian transsexual caught up in a scandal which prompted the resignation of a senior Italian politician -- the center-left governor of Lazio region, which includes Rome -- was found burned to death in his home Friday. Police found a body following a fire in a basement flat in a neighborhood frequented by transsexual prostitutes and court sources said magistrates were treating the death as murder.

Forensic tests were expected to identify the remains as those of a transsexual known only as Brenda, police said.

Brenda and another Brazilian transsexual were at the center of a case involving the blackmail of former Lazio Governor Piero Marrazzo by four police officers who secretly filmed him having sex and taking drugs with one of the transsexuals. [...]

Marrazzo's lawyer Luca Petrucci told reporters Brenda's death was "really worrying news" and demanded police protection for the other transsexual in the case, who is known as Natalie.

Let us remember Brenda, and all of our other dead transgender brothers and sisters, this weekend, while we also fight for policies lessening discrimination against transgender people everywhere and stand in solidarity with them.