Jessica Rubi Mori
Age 324 Jun 2017
Higüey, La Altagracia (Dominican Republic)
Dismembered
TDoR list ref: tgeu/4-Jun-2017/Rubi Guerrero
Jessica was a sex worker, and was last seen in the vicinity of a park. Her body was later found dismembered.
The horrifying killing of a transgender woman in the Dominican Republic – the second such killing this year and 38th since 2006 – highlights the extreme violence faced by many transgender women in the country and the need for strengthened legal protection for discriminated groups, said Amnesty International.
“The grotesque killing of Jessica Rubi Mori is a tragic reminder that the Dominican authorities need to take bolder steps to eradicate discrimination, including that based on gender identity and sexual orientation,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director for Amnesty International.
The body of Jessica Rubi Mori a transgender sex worker and activist with community organization Este Amor (This Love), was found on 3 June 2017 in the eastern Dominican municipality of Higüey. Her body was found dismembered in a wasteland. According to news reports, one suspect has been placed under arrest.
According to Cristian King, executive director of TRANSSA – Trans Siempre Amigas (Trans Always Friends), only four people have so far been convicted for the 38 cases of killings of transgender women that the organization has documented since 2006. King told Amnesty International his organization has been working closely with the Human Rights Unit of the Office of the Attorney General on recent cases.
