Police investigate assault on transgender women at samba club.
They were beaten by a group of 15 men.
By Vinicius Lisboa (Agência Brasil) - The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro are investigating the assault of two transgender women in Lapa, Rio de Janeiro, as they left a samba club this past weekend.
According to a complaint from one of the victims, who posted photos of bruises and injuries on social media, they were beaten by a group of 15 men, including security guards from the establishment. Casarão do Firmino, located across from where the incident occurred, stated in a press release that the story is false and was fabricated to conceal those responsible for the "confusion."
The Civil Police informed... Agency Brazil According to a statement, the case was registered at the 5th Police Station (Mem de Sá). "Those involved were questioned, and officers are seeking witnesses and security camera footage from the area. Investigations are ongoing to clarify all the facts."
"I was beaten by a group of men, including security guards, street vendors, and an Uber driver. After aggressively removing me from the samba party, they began verbally assaulting me with transphobic remarks such as 'you can hit me, they're all men'," recounts the victim of the assault. "They threw us to the ground and kicked us all over our bodies, heads, and faces."
Next, the complainant states that she, her sister, who is also a transgender woman, and a cisgender woman who was with them were prevented from leaving the premises, even after getting into a taxi, inside which further assaults allegedly occurred. The group of women then managed to leave the location and seek help from the police.
"As trans women, we have survived the statistics that show the country we live in is leading for the 14th time in..." ranking "From the countries that kill the most transgender people. We have been reborn," she laments.
Other side
Casarão do Firmino, in turn, reports that, after the samba had ended, a group outside began throwing bottles at the staff, injuring two security guards who were given medical attention and underwent a forensic medical examination.
"According to reports, the same group was involved in a physical altercation with street vendors. The aforementioned group also allegedly had a disagreement with a ride-share driver who was recording the commotion with his cell phone," says a statement from the establishment posted on its social media.
Casarão do Firmino concludes by stating that it is "a space of resistance, joy, and love" and repudiates all types of violence with the same force with which it combats "any lie created to conceal the true instigators and culprits of this mess."
In a note sent to Brazil 247, Uber states that “although Uber is mentioned in the article, it was not possible to verify the reported case because, to date, the company has not been provided with any information to check whether the driver mentioned is registered on the Uber app. In any case, we know that the name 'Uber' is popularly used as a synonym for the entire category of mobility apps, as well as a synonym for the activity of those who use the apps to generate income. Therefore, it is essential to verify the data to know whether or not the case is related to the app.”