The suspect responsible for the murder of trans Luciana Moscoso captured: he would be a close friend

Luciana Moscoso unfortunately became the third trans woman murdered in Bogotá during the first half of 2021. Her case reflected violence against this population and warned of a possible gender-based crime, but in recent days it became known that the alleged perpetrator would be a close friend of the victim, a recurrent assistant to demonstrations against transgender violence.

As reported by the Trans Community Network, this week the Prosecutor's Office captured the suspect responsible for the murder of Moscoso and held the indictment hearing, in which it charged Jhonatan David Castro Acuña with the crimes of aggravated homicide in a heterogeneous contest with aggravated theft.

In addition, he imposed an assurance measure on him while the trial against him is proceeding. For these crimes he could, if found guilty, pay a minimum sentence of 400 to 600 months (33 to 50 years) in prison.

The Community Network also maintained that during the hearing a discussion was held between the Prosecutor's Office and the Defense to charge femicide, which in Colombia applies to cases of trans women, or homicide. For that reason, they asked to analyze whether the crime responded to its gender and its activity as a webcamer to charge a crime based on the identity of the victim.

“I mean, it's important to determine if she was murdered because she was a trans woman. The majority of sex workers and webcamers are women who, because they do not have a regulatory framework, are exposed to insecurity (they are excluded from financial systems and are more vulnerable to theft),” said the Foundation.

Castro Acuña would not have reportedly replied to the allegation because the defence requested more time to inform him about options for acceptance or pleading not guilty, because he was “super confused” and has doubts that need to be resolved to guarantee his right to defense.

It will be until next Wednesday, March 30, when the hearing will resume to hear the defendant's answer. “Justice and institutions must determine responsibility. From the Net we will be watching and reporting It hurts to remember how Luciana's dreams were killed. Today we have a sense of helplessness that is difficult to explain without tears,” they said from the collective for the defense of trans rights.

Moscoso was killed on June 9, 2021 and her body was found two days later in her apartment in the Ciudad Berna neighborhood, in the town of Antonio Nariño, south of Bogotá. His house was completely disordered, so from the beginning it was said that it was a theft and death occurred by mechanical asphyxiation.

She was 26 years old and was a stylist and makeup artist by profession, and she was also studying for the time of the murder, as her sister told W Radio. She was recognized as an activist within the trans community of Bogotá.

Castro Acuña, who was captured and accused of the crime, was a friend of Moscoso, who also participated in several demonstrations in rejection of violence and vindication of the rights of trans people in Bogotá, up to a month after the death of the crime in a march against police abuse. As well as the national strike.

Close to Moscoso and people from the LGBTI population have rejected the facts and asked to promote safe spaces within the same groups, because violence is found both from the outside and from within the members, as the murder of the stylist would show.

From 2020 to June 2021, according to figures from the Ombudsman's Office, 98 people with diverse sexual orientation and gender identity were killed. In that period, transgender women were the ones who suffered most severely from violence with 27 cases; gay men 14; lesbian women 8, one transgender man and in 27 cases sexual orientation and gender identity were not identified.

In the first 5 months of 2021, before Moscoso's crime, 21 people were killed: in Valle del Cauca (4 cases), Magdalena and Atlántico (6); Cesar and Sucre (4), Bogotá (2), Córdoba, Bolívar, Quindio, Caldas and Tolima with one case in each department. And the main victims were transgender women, with 15 murders, 13 of them did not exceed 35 years of age.

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