Monday, February 23, 2015

Trans Panic

That seems to be the defense strategy for the Marine who is being tried for the murder of a trans woman in the Philippines.
US marine given not guilty plea in trial for murder of transgender Filipino
The Guardian
Associated Press in Manila
Monday 23 February 2015

A Philippine court entered a plea of not guilty on Monday for a US marine charged with the murder of a transgender Filipino, who authorities say he killed after finding out her gender when they checked into a motel.

Accompanied by security escorts and his lawyers, Marine Pfc Joseph Scott Pemberton refused to enter a plea to the murder charge in the brief proceeding in a court in Olongapo city north-west of Manila, according to justice secretary Leila de Lima. Journalists were barred from the courtroom.
[…]
Marine Lance Corporal Jairn Michael Rose, who was with Pemberton that night, acknowledged that Pemberton later confided back at their ship that he attacked the woman he was with by choking her after discovering that she was a transgender when she undressed, according to the prosecutors.

“I think I killed a he/she,” Pemberton was quoted as having told Rose.
I hope that the judge doesn’t allow “Trans Panic” defense but I’m afraid that the woman’s gender identity will be a major issue in his defense… “I went temporally insane when I found out!”

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