Transgender Europe

Case nr. Date of incident Time of incident Location Place of incident Type of incident Description Assault Bias indicator Bias motivation Clarification of bias indicator Source of information Type of perpetrator Description of perpetrator Response of local authorities Impact of the incident 3 trans people were attacked after leaving a queer bar and were badly injured by 2 young drunk men in the center of Yerevan. The offenders first started to flirt with the victims and when they realised that they are trans, laughed at them and then Location, Timing, attacked them physically. They were trying to show their masculinity to each other as it was stated by a victim "in order to Victim perception assure each other that they are not gay and they don't like boys". Gender identity/Gender expression Specific targeting of a queer bar indicates hate motivation. Victim Private individuals 2 persons -- -- Victim perception, Witness perception, Language used Gender identity/Gender Threatening language indicated bias expression, Sexual orientation involved. Victim, LGBTIQ group Gang 3 young men -- -- Incidents from Armenia, recorded by MSM Armenia within the framework of TGEU's Eastern European Partnership Project 1 9/5/2016 night: 9 pm to 5 am Yerevan Queer bar 2 2/15/2016 evening: 5 pm to 9 pm Yerevan Public space Assault Five LGBTIQ activists, among them trans people, were attacked and beaten by three unknown assailants in the center of Yerevan. The group of LGBTQ people was walking on the street, and the group attacked them because of their "expressive" appearance. Some of the activists got serious health problems, medical staff was discriminative and laughing at them. Incident was reported to police and official public statement was made. 3 10/13/2016 night: 9 pm to 5 am Yerevan Near sex work venue Assault 6 trans sex workers were physically attacked in a cruising area in Yerevan. The entrances of the sex worker venue were surrounded by men with cars and some of them entered to the park to find trans people to beat them. Victims hid in the the trees in the park, but the offenders started to throw stones towards them to find them. One of the trans persons shouted that she is calling the police and journalists. A police car at that moment - by conincidence - was driving on the nearest street and the gang thought that the victims called them. They left the park after that group of trans sex workers were able to leave too, and they didn't come back on that that day again, in order to escape the possible second attack by the same gang. Language used, Victim perception, Location Gender identity/Gender expression, Sex work status Language used and victim perception indicated transphobic motives. Victim Gang 8 men Medical was needed, the reaction of medical staff was discriminatory. -- 4 11/26/2016 night: 9 pm to 5 am Yerevan Near sex work venue Assault Trans sex worker was attacked by a person posing as a client in a cruising area in Yerevan. The offender invited the trans woman to sit in his car and physically attacked her in the corner of the park in his car damaging her health. The sex worker trans woman opened the door and shouted for help from other sex workers in the park. Then the assailant opened the door and sex worker ran out of the car. Language used, Victim perception, Location Gender identity/Gender expression, Sex work status Victim perceived the attack to be motivated by bias against her trans sex worker status, based on language used. Victim Client of a sex worker -- -- -- 5 9/14/2016 night: 9 pm to 5 am Yerevan Near sex work venue Sexual assault A trans woman sex worker was physically abused by an unknown man in a Yerevan cruising area. The person tried to kiss her, Location, Victim take of her clothes and wig, then rape her because he had not had enough money to get her service. The victim ran away. perception Gender identity/Gender expression Victim perception and targeting of a sex worker venue where trans sex workers wait for clients indicate hate motivation. Victim Private individual very masculine, athletic young person -- -- Gender identity/Gender expression, Sex work status Victim perceived the attack as hatemotivated. Language was also indicative. Victim Client of a sex worker -- -- -- Gender identity/Gender expression, Sex work status Victim perceived the incident as hatemotivated based on degree of violence she Victim suffered. Client of a sex worker 2 persons Victim needed medical care; medical professionals were hostile and mocking. -- Victim Police 2 police officers -- -- Gender identity/Gender expression Victim perceived to be targeted because of her belonging to the LGBTIQ community Victim so that police prevents her from organising a community event. Police 2 police officers -- -- -- 6 10/27/2016 morning: 5 am to 12 pm Yerevan Home Sexual assault 7 8/5/2016 afternoon: 12 pm to 5 pm Yerevan Near sex work venue Assault 8 8/18/2016 night: 9 pm to 5 am Yerevan Near sex work venue Threats and/or psychological violence A cross-dresser sex worker was raped by a client in their home. The assailant stated that trans sex workers have to serve for free Armenian men, this is their profession and this is the only thing that they deserve. A trans woman sex worker was physically assaulted by a client and his friend in a Yerevan cruising area, because she refused to provide services for free to them. She was alone at that moment in the park, so the client beat her explaining her that "he must not pay to a trans person, because he is very handsome and he has not heard that gays request money for sex". The trans person called her taxi driver and as she said escaped serious injuries but hear body was in pain for 2 days and she was unable to work. Victim perception, Language used Language used, Victim perception 2 police officers approached a trans sex worker in the center of Yerevan near a sex work area and started to explain her about Armenian traditions and values and how sex work and being a trans don't fit with those values. They threaten her saying if Language used they see her again next time at the same spot, they will have to use excessive physical force and remove her from that area. Gender identity/Gender expression, Sex work status Statements against sex workers and trans people. Incidents from Georgia, recorded by Women’s Initiatives Support Group, within the framework of TGEU's Eastern European Partnership Project 9 5/17/2016 afternoon: 12 pm to 5 pm Tbilisi Near home Threats and/or psychological violence (restriction of freedom) Victim is a trans woman and works in one of the LGBTI organisations. On May 17th 2016, about 3 A.M, she was nearby her apartment when two police officers stopped and arrested her based on article 173rd of the Administrative Code of Georgia (resistance to the request of the police officer). On the next day there was an administrative court hearing and the case was dropped because there was insufficient evidence of the administrative offense. Timing, Victim perception Victim believes that her arrest was directly connected to the 17th of May- International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. She believes police arrested her to assure that she would not organise/take part in any kind of protest to support the LGBTI community. 10 10/14/2016 afternoon: 12 pm to 5 pm Tbilisi Near sex work venue Homicide On the 14th of October 2016, a transgender woman was attacked in one of the districts of Tbilisi, on the territory of an abandoned building, by a man. Victim was attacked by a blunt item and sustained injuries to the face and neck. The transgender woman died after being in a coma for 40 days, on November 22nd 2016. The aggressor was arrested several days after incident. He testified in his statement that he knew the victim previously from prison, and on the day of murder, he Location, Degree of went there to speak with her. During their meeting, the accused man was under the influence of alcohol and had an argument violence with the victim. He got angry after their argument and took a brick and hit victim in the face with it and subsequently took a kitchen knife and inflicted several injuries with it. With the intention to kill the victim, he took the brick again and used it to hit the victim in the face. Victim was unconscious and the perpetrator believed her to be dead. Gender identity/Gender expression Degree of violence and the location of the attack might indicate hate motivation. Police Private individual -- Police investigation was started. 11 6/25/2016 afternoon: 12 pm to 5 pm Tbilisi Near sex work venue Serious bodily harm (physical violence) On June 25rd, 2016, on the pedestrian side of one of the central streets of Tbilisi, a transgender woman was attacked by an unknown man. The attacker started to beat her with stick, which had a nail attached to the top. Victim got injured in her right hand. During the attack, the perpetrator was shouting homophobic and transphobic slurs, which makes the motive of the attack obvious. Gender identity/Gender expression, Sex worker status Language used clearly indicate transphobic motivation. Victim Private individual 1 person Victim called the police and the ambulance. The investigation of the case started under the article 125th of the Criminal Code of Georgia which -implies battery. So far during the investigation motive of transphobia was not identified, therefore it was not added as an aggravating circumstance. night: 9 pm to 5 am Tbilisi Near sex work venue Serious bodily harm (physical violence) On June 13th, 2016 , on the pedestrian part of one of the central streets of Tbilisi, 2 transgender women got attacked by a group of several unknown men. The men drove to the place of the incident with a car and poured petrol on the two women. As Location, Degree of victims stated, attackers were trying to set them on fire, but they managed to escape from the perpetrators and fled the violence scene. Gender identity/Gender expression, Sex worker status Specific targeting at a sex work venue and the degree of violence indicate hate Victim motivation. Private individual 2 men Victims called the police immediately and provided all the information they had about perpetrators. They were arrested by police straight away. On the second day of the proceedings, the court found the transgender women -guilty, based on article 166th of the Administrative Offences Code of Georgia (Petty Hooliganism) and were charged to pay a fine in the amount of 100 GEL. Gender identity/Gender expression In case of the private individual: offender targeted the victim specifically without any reason. In case of police: based on the Victim language used, victim perceived the incident transphobic. Private individual and Police -- Victim called the ambulance and police. She got arrested for administrative offense based on article 173rd of the Administrative Offences Code of Georgia (resistance to the request of police officer). The victim -stated police were being transphobic towards her and she claims she did not commit the administrative offense she was accused of. On 18th of April, 2016, victim was found guilty and sentenced to five days jail for the offense. Gender identity/Gender expression, Sex work status Both victim and witness perceived the attack as specifically targeting the trans woman sex worker at a sex work venue. Victim Client of a sex worker -- Police was reacting in a transphobic way. 12 2016-06-13 Language used, Degree of violence 13 4/14/2016 afternoon: 12 pm to 5 pm Tbilisi Public space Assault On April 14th, 2016 , late in the night, a transgender woman was on the pedestrian part of one of the central streets of Tbilisi with her friend when an unknown man approached and started to beat them immediately. Victim called the ambulance and police. She got arrested for administrative offense based on article 173rd of the Administrative Offences Code of Georgia (resistance to the request of police officer). The victim stated police were being transphobic towards her and she claims she did not commit the administrative offense she was accused of. On 18th of April, 2016, victim was found guilty and sentenced to five days jail for the offense. 14 6/25/2016 night: 9 pm to 5 am Tbilisi Near sex work venue Assault Transgender woman suffered transphobic verbal and physical abuse. She called the police and demanded appropriate response, but in vain. After the patrol crew left, other police officers arrived. The victim, along with her friend, protested against the police inaction verbally. The police considered the victim's protest as offense and arrested her along with her Location, Timing, friends. The detention took place during the night hours, in the morning the victim was transferred to the Tbilisi City Court, Victim perception, where she was defended by WISG lawyer. She was charged with the offense described by Article 166 (petty hooliganism) and Witness perception Article 173 (disobedience to the lawful order or demand of a law enforcement officer) and a penalty of 250 GEL was proposed. She did not recognize the offense. Victim received a verbal warning in the end. 15 8/2/2016 night: 9 pm to 5 am Tbilisi Public space Sexual assault A transgender woman was attacked by a private individual on the street and sexually harassed. When the woman asked him to stop his actions, the attacker started to swear and use homophobic and transphobic slurs. The victim called the police. Language used, Victim perception, Witness perception Gender identity/Gender expression Langauge used clearly indicated transphobic attack. Victim, Witness, Police, LGBTIQ group Private individual -- The police arrested the transgender woman for committing an administrative offense (petty hooliganism). She received a penalty of -100 (one hundred) GEL. The WISG lawyer appealed the court decision at the higher court, but the decision remained unchanged. 16 7/7/2016 night: 9 pm to 5 am Tbilisi Public space Sexual assault A transgender woman has been physically assaulted by an unknown person who posed as a client and was subjected to sexual violence. Victim perception Gender identity/Gender expression, Sex work status Victim perceived the incident to be hatemotivated. Victim, Police, LGBTIQ group Client of a sex worker -- Police got footage of the offender, investigation is ongoing. Language used, Victim perception -- --