Transgender woman brutally attacked in Namibia
Namibian advocacy groups have condemned the brutal attack of a 30-year-old transgender woman on Jan. 4. According to Namibia Equal Rights Movement, Shabombee Gift Shiaimenze and Jonathan Kamfwa attacked Stay-C Lapworth at a truck stop near the Narraville area of Walvis Bay, a city on the country’s coast.
The alleged suspects are said to have attacked Lapworth, who remains in intensive care after they left her for dead with a fractured skull, when one of the men realized she is a trans woman after having sex with her. “The rise in hate crimes and violence towards LGBTQI+ Namibians is a direct result of the passage of the anti-LGBTQI+ bill by the Namibian Parliament and the rise in religious extremism in Namibia, fanning the flames of hate by church leaders,” said Namibia Equal Rights Movement Campaign Manager Omar van Reenen. “By passing that bill, Parliament sent a license to discriminate, to assault, to incite violence and to kill, towards LGBTQI+ persons.” “Transgender Namibians are one of the most marginalized minority groups and have become increasingly at risk,” added van Reenen. “The heinous crime that took place showed that we have no safety measures or protection for our community.
We will follow this case to ensure justice is served for Stay-C and homo-transphobes to be sent a message that hate will be held to account.” Wendelinus Ndiwakalunga Hamutenya-Jeremiah, a Namibian activist, said it remains a travesty that LGBTQ people in the country continue to face such attacks. “Trans justice is justice for all.
Discrimination against LGBTI people undermines the human rights principles outlined in the Namibian Constitution, yet discrimination and violence against LGBTI people particularly in the Trans community are all too common,” said Hamutenya-Jeremiah. “We fight for Trans liberation, we fight for a better world for us all.
