Brazil records 140 murders of trans people in 2021

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In the week that marks National Trans Visibility Day, the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals (Antra) has published a dossier on violence against the trans population in Brazil. According to the dossier, at least 140 trans people were murdered in the country in 2021.

With 25 murders, São Paulo is the state with the most victims. Bahia is second with 13 cases, followed by Rio de Janeiro with 12 deaths. Most of the victims are young, black, between 13 and 29 years old, and female.

According to the survey, the number of murders of trans people could be even higher, as too few cases are reported. The association highlights that the lack of government data and the difficult access to information from security secretariats and judicial authorities are the biggest obstacles.

According to the document, crimes occur mainly on public streets at night. Most victims are killed violently. According to the study, the suspects usually have no direct, social, or affective relationship with the victims, and police and judicial practices are characterized by a lack of rigor in the investigation, identification, and arrest of suspects.

Although the number of deaths is lower than in 2020, when 175 cases were counted, it is still higher than the average of homicides recorded between 2008 and 2021, which corresponds to 124 deaths.

According to the association, transphobic violence and hate speech have increased and gained strength in recent years, especially on social media. The study also points out that young trans people are being murdered at increasingly younger ages.

In 2021, the youngest victim was only 13 years old. The document highlights that between 2019 and 2020, the age of the youngest victim was 15.