Jailed for murder, but homophobia prejudice alleged.While there are outward indications that homosexuals are winning broader acceptance in Mexico, as in other Latin American countries, some statistics show a different picture.
Figures released on the eve of the International Day Against Homophobia, marked yesterday, rank Mexico as the second worst country worldwide for homophobic crimes, after Brazil.
In the last 19 years there have been 1,218 homicides with homophobic undertones in Mexico, although estimations are that for every reported crime there are three or four more that go unreported, says the Citizens’ Commission Against Homophobic Hate Crimes in its latest report.
According to the document, the largest group of victims are men, with 976 murders, followed by those identified as transgender with 226 reported cases. Of women there were only 16 cases but it is believed that the murder of lesbian women is usually under-reported, as most cases are labeled broadly as femicides.
The report also shows that the number of homophobic murders has been increasing since 2005, which corresponds with greater public visibility gained since then by homosexuals and trangender people.
But as with much crime in Mexico, impunity and other issues are a factor.
These crimes are at risk of being made invisible by the “violence, impunity, and corruption” with which they are investigated, the report continues.
An example is the case of Óscar Manuel Ramírez Siordia, 27, who has spent almost five years in prison for the murder of his partner.
On July 7, 2010, Ramírez Siordia found the dead body of his boyfriend, Jacobo, on their bedroom floor. He immediately called the police.
A few days later, Ramírez Siordia was formally arrested for first-degree murder. Even after a 19-year-old man confessed of murdering Jacobo, Ramírez Siordia was sentenced to 27 years and six months in prison.
Jacobo’s death may not fall into the category of homophobic crimes, but the whole case has a discriminatory bias, as the crime was immediately labeled as a “crime of passion” due to the sexual orientation of those involved and, according to the accused’s defense, the judges issued the sentence with homophobic prejudices.
A group of lawyers is currently waiting for the courts to review an injunction request, considering that Ramírez Siordia’s right to a fair trial, to the presumption of innocence and to non-discrimination on grounds of his sexual orientation were violated.
Source: Sin Embargo (sp), NotieSe (sp)
