Bruna Toro
Age 349 Jul 2015
Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul (Brazil)
Beaten, stoned and stabbed
TDoR list ref: tgeu/9-Jul-2015/Bruna Toro

Bruna was murdered by a group including four other trans sex workers. The motive was allegedly that she had attempted to extort money from them.
The murder of the transvestite “Bruna Toro”, registered name [deadname] Souza dos Santos, 35 years old, involved four other [trans women] and was committed because she extorted colleagues from the sex program, demanding all the money they earned from them. The information was provided by delegate Célia Bezerra, from the 4th Police Station, responsible for clarifying the case and arresting those involved, whose names have not yet been released.
“Bruna Toro” died as a result of seven stab wounds, stones and sticks. The crime took place on Thursday night (9), on Rua Estevão Capriata, in Vila Progresso, and the [trans woman] died in the early hours of the following day, in Santa Casa.
According to the police chief, on Friday, the case was clarified and the group involved in the homicide was arrested in flagrante delicto in the boarding school where they lived, on Rua dos Operários, Vila Albuquerque. “We identified the perpetrators and arrested them red-handed. In the early hours of Saturday, I forwarded requests for preventive detention to the judge, who then granted them,” said the police authority.
The [trans women] who committed the crime said that since the beginning of this month they had been extorted by “Bruna Toro”. “Under threats, she demanded all the money that the others raised in programs, as a kind of toll. She started charging since she was on the run from the prison system, on the 8th of this month. She left and started to earn her living this way”, pointed out Célia Bezerra.
During this period, only one of the program colleagues, “Bruna Toro”, took R$ 200. “It is a high amount, considering that they charge R$ 10 per customer”, highlighted the authority.
When she was stabbed, “Bruna Toro” had gone to collect more money. “With a knife she demanded money, there was a body fight and one of the transvestites managed to disarm her, hitting her while the others attacked her with stones, pieces of wood, whatever they found around the place”, said the delegate.
The prisoners were indicted for intentional homicide (when there is intent in the crime). The General Police Station evaluates whether it will disclose the [birth] identities of the perpetrators.
TvT partner organization Grupo Gay da Bahia & MidiaMax 13.07.2015