Jamaican police are not doing enough to protect gay and transgender people who “live in constant fear,” as incidents of extreme violence and even murder go unchecked, according to a report Tuesday.
At least two gay men have been killed in recent years, the US-based rights watchdog said, and incidents of mob violence, shooting, stabbing and beatings are “part of the lived reality” of many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Jamaica.
In July 2013, 16-year-old Dwayne Johnson was stabbed, shot and run over with a car after attending a party dressed as a woman. His killers dumped his body in a bush after the murder outside a nightclub.
A gay man, Steve Lindo, was stabbed to death with scissors in 2010 after his alleged killer said he made advances at him, according to the 86-page report, based on interviews with 71 LGBT people over five weeks last year.
Other abuses “included rape; being chopped with a machete; being choked; being stabbed with a knife; being shot with a gun; being hit with boards, pipes, sticks, chairs, or brooms; being attacked by groups ranging from 5 to 40 individuals; and being slapped in the face with hands or with guns,” the report added.
One man who used a pseudonym, Devon O, said he was severely beaten by a crowd of 30 people who insulted his sexual orientation and attacked him with knives, machetes and sticks.
Police removed him after 20 minutes and then handcuffed and beat him themselves, he reported.
Many people are too scared to report abuses to authorities, and even when they do, cases are not always pursued, according to HRW.
Among 56 incidents of violence, only 19 were reported. Out of those, authorities took formal statements in only eight cases and made arrests or pursued prosecution only four times.
“Police protection remains inadequate,” even though laws have been introduced to protect LGBT communities, the report said.
“There have been steps taken… but the main problem, a lack of effective follow up by the police, has not been addressed,” Graeme Reid, LGBT rights director at HRW, told AFP.
The poorest were the least likely to report incidents of violence.
“LGBT Jamaicans, especially those who are poor and unable to live in safer, more affluent areas, are particularly vulnerable,” HRW said.
It called on the government to repeal “antiquated” anti-gay laws, which ban anal sex and all male homosexual conduct.
“The authorities from the prime minister on down need to call a halt to the violence and discrimination, prosecute anyone responsible, and get homophobic laws off the books,” said Reid.
Social discrimination also remains a serious threat, and many LBGT people are denied housing, health care or employment because of their sexual orientation.
“They are taunted, threatened, fired from their jobs, thrown out of their homes, or worse: beaten, stoned, raped, or killed,” the report said.
These crimes look like the crimes they commit against themselves……..they are criminals I am sure they saw the documentary where the man was beating the other in the gully ….and when Macy big mouth fren a tell Angel fi walk wid ar knife ………..cause any weh shi si it a war…..so what must the police do ….Dane Lewis should hire guardsman to guard the gully …………..
Police not doing enough to protect gay men? A wey de Mooma claat dis doe eeh? So pretty soon, saying that you are heterosexual will mean that you are homophobic then, is that it? Where does it end? To the LGBT Director…. go suck yu madda backway!! Yu move sideway like when crab a walk, so gwey wid yu nassiness!! De Police dem must protect who? A which a coulda get one a dem same Police bwoy dey gun and shot out de wood inna yu trousers. Yu know how much crime dem gay bwoy dey gwaan wid? De Police dem not even a protect innocent straight people, so gwey wid yu foolish talk, and stop gi people headache inna de Sunday ya man.
Mi nahn guh mek di tory yah hat up mi head further dis morning..dah KC man do enough suh mi going to just walk on by..but before me walk on by, mi want to ask him one question..
“Sir what are you doing to protect the straight people from your criminal cronies who call demselves gay”?
Most of dem a Lasco babies, poor ppl children have a price fi pay sah.
Police fi meck sure dem deal wid all citizens fairly when it come to any crime. Graeme, lots of ppl not getting effective follow-up when it come to crimes pon dat island. Look pon Shaneka Shakes and Shanna-kay Ledgister, all now di parents dem nuh get no justice. Fi mi family member murdered from bout 7 yrs now, and still no justice. Di crime fighting in JA is a joke, most a di stations look like a hot mess, the officers not well compensated, dem lacking di sophisticated crime fighting equipment, many a di officers dem lack basic intelligence and can’t do a proper crime scene investigation. All di money dem spend pon di British man dem nuh improve nutten. Curriculum a di police academy need fi upgrade big time. Everybody a feel it when it come to crime a JA nuh just di LGBT folks. Its is a serious problem all around.
KMT..PROTECTION???? KMT DEM BETTA GO DUNG LIKKLE BIT MORE INNA DI GULLY AND FIND PROTECTION DAH WAY DEH!DI POLICE DEM NEED FI DO REAL POLICE WORK AND SOLVE CRIME NOT BABY OR HUSH DI BATTY MAN DEM..AH DEM SLACKNESS AH MEK DEM GET KILL ..DEM SHOULDA KEEP DAT TO DEM SELF OR INNA DEM BEDROOM WEH IT BELONG! MI NUH FEEL SORRY AH RASS NO WAY NO HOW…GOD BELIEVE ME!!!!!!!!!!!
hhhmmm……given the relative inadequacies of the police force in dealing with the general public at large the expectation they will assist an ostracized and marginalized group is asking way too much……unfortunately, the only options available to these ppl will be to police themselves and remove those from their numbers who are hell bent on disrupting the status quo…which essentially is keep yuh raas inna di closet and nobody no haffi klaat yuh raas……and they have to keep doing what they are doing…which is safety in numbers….cause if mi a walk pon road and see all 2-3 battyman a walk inna mi direction mi is not di one fi fling stone after dem….mi a run like tief…..lmfao
What these gays need to do is have a safe place to come out. Then once their out mingle wid dem one another and leave str8 females and men alone. There is 2 much down low goin on. Man still out there sleeping wid woman then sneaking dwn alley to man. We cannot eradicate this so let’s be adult about it and mek dem have sumwhere safe…inner dem village or wherever and we can rest assure dem not giving us poor ladies all di disease in da book. Not to say str8 ppl dnt have disease but 2 much mixing and blending dnt gud fi nuttin…ACTUALLY u knw wot….Jamacians on a whole put to much on sex…chill out sex not goin nowhere…
The way ppl talk constantly about it u wud tink dem nah get none. Dis one a f**k dat one a f**k big pussy fat pussy good cocky…. please get a life…stop mix n blend, stop talk bout sex like is only unuh can have it…jheez educate thy self…more to life mon….trust me and trust in da almighty
Da da dee