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Amanda Jofré Chilean Transgender Corporation , was walking down the street when she was accosted by three men in northern Santiago, Chile. According to her complaint, the men first tried to rob her and then began attacking her with punches and cuts. They set her on fire while hurling insults such as "faggot," "fucking horse," and "fucking sicko." As a result, a lawsuit for attempted femicide was filed with the Third Guarantee Court of Santiago.

The attack occurred in the early morning of October 9, between Avenida La Paz and Antonia López de Bello, in the Independencia district, north of Santiago, Chile - according to the complaint - and the investigation into the attack is being carried out by the Metropolitan Region Central-North Prosecutor's Office.

Furthermore, Soto, with legal representation from the Corporation for the Promotion and Defense of the People's Rights ( CODEPU ), filed a lawsuit with the Third Guarantee Court of Santiago for the crime of attempted aggravated femicide in conjunction with serious bodily harm. The legal action requests that “all those responsible, whether as perpetrators, accomplices, and/or accessories after the fact, be sentenced to the maximum penalties stipulated for the brutal transphobic attack.”

“The attack wasn’t just intended to ‘punish’ me for my sexual orientation, but to suppress those who are different,” Soto stated in filing the complaint. “ Dousing me with fuel and setting me on fire can only be interpreted as a cruel attempt to kill me, taking advantage of the vulnerability of transgender people like myself, who constantly see our human rights violated,” she added.

All the signs of cruelty in hate crimes

Alejandra is 44 years old, a sex worker, and the head of the Amanda Jofré union. The day after the attack, she went to Dr. Alejandro del Río Hospital in Ñuñoa to have her injuries documented. There, it was confirmed that she had a hematoma around her right eye, multiple burns on her torso and left arm, as well as cuts on her right wrist and abdomen. “The injuries I suffered in the attack were classified as serious,” Soto explained.

Mariela Santana, Alejandra's representative and a member of CODEPU, said the attack was motivated "by the victim's gender identity and has the aggravating circumstance of being a hate crime with particular displays of cruelty." "Once again, the vulnerability of sex workers and sexual minorities, whose human rights are subjected to constant aggression, is made visible," she summarized.

Furthermore, he is confident that “the tools provided by the Zamudio Law can advance non-discrimination, which is an essential element for building a society that respects human dignity.” Law No. 20.609, known as the Anti-Discrimination Law or Zamudio Law, was enacted in 2012 and “establishes measures against arbitrary discrimination and a judicial procedure to restore rights when such an act is committed.”

"I'm very scared and nervous."

In an interview with Presentes, Alejandra said she is “in a lot of pain” and “psychologically unwell” because of the attack. “I’m very scared and nervous, that’s why I asked for a psychologist and a psychiatrist to support me,” she said, adding that she will begin psychological support next week.

““This cowardly attack only demonstrates the structural vulnerability to which trans women are subjected in this sexist and patriarchal society,” said the Amanda Jofré union in a statement, adding: “This time our colleague is with us, but tomorrow it could be anyone who isn’t so lucky. The future of trans people is at risk.”

Homophobic and transphobic crimes, attacks, and assaults in Chile increased by 14.7% – the highest annual figure recorded to date – during 2020, according to the 19th Annual Report on Human Rights of Sexual and Gender Diversity prepared by the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation (Movilh) . The Santiago Metropolitan Region accounted for 23.93% of these attacks, making it the second region with the most cases, after Valparaíso.

“Since 2018, cases and complaints of discrimination have been on a worrying rise, which can no longer be explained solely by the fact that victims are more empowered to report, but because there is indeed a climate of hostility greater than in the past, as well as an almost total silence from the State, insofar as it does not publicly reject the abuses, contributing to generating a sense of impunity,” Movilh explained in the report.

Amanda Jofré is requesting financial support for Alejandra Soto, who is currently receiving daily outpatient care for her burns. This treatment involves expenses for creams and special burn patches , and she will be unable to work for some time. To offer support, you can write to contacto@amandajofre.cl or make a deposit to the account they shared on their social media .

“We will not allow them to continue committing atrocities against our community with the complicity of a society that remains silent,” the union concluded.