Remembering Our Dead

Joëlla

Joella was found beaten and stripped on a street in a residential neighborhood of Noumea in Nouvelle-Calédonie (a French overseas territory). Two men were detained and charged.

The two suspects were already known to the police for thefts, with violence for one of them. Aged 19 and 24, they admitted to having beaten the victim in the Saint-Quentin neighborhood, a sparsely frequented area of mostly derelict buildings.

Last weekend in Nouméa, Joëlla, 45, was killed by around fifteen kicks to the head. The Public Prosecutor’s Office of New Caledonia announced the arrest of two suspects.

The two suspects were already known to the police for thefts, with violence for one of them. Aged 19 and 24, they admitted to having beaten the victim in the Saint-Quentin neighborhood, a sparsely frequented area made up of derelict buildings.

This crime provoked a strong emotional response in the French-speaking Pacific archipelago, where Joëlla was locally known for playing volleyball.

Referring to the “extreme violence” of this murder, the LGBTQI+ association Rainbowlution Nouvelle-Calédonie recalled that transfeminicide is far from being an isolated act: “This tragedy tragically reminds us that transgender people remain particularly exposed to violence. It underscores the urgency of strengthening prevention, awareness, and protection of LGBTQIA+ people and of actively fighting against hate speech and acts.” The feminist association La Tresse Nouvelle-Calédonie also noted that this murder “fits into a broader context of systemic violence against transgender people”. A gathering in tribute to Joëlla is being prepared, in agreement with the victim’s family.

https://angers.maville.com/actu/actudet_-deux-hommes-en-detention-pour-le-meurtre-d-une-femme-transgenre-en-nouvelle-caledonie-_54135-7184612_actu.Htm

https://www.midilibre.fr/2026/02/10/elle-a-ete-battue-a-mort-par-deux-hommes-de-19-et-24-ans-le-meurtre-violent-dune-femme-transgenre-bouleverse-toute-une-population-13217617.php

https://www.ouest-france.fr/faits-divers/meurtres/deux-hommes-en-detention-pour-le-meurtre-dune-femme-transgenre-en-nouvelle-caledonie-c09b8b5e-0670-11f1-9c0a-f496d01f0cae

https://www.dnc.nc/deux-hommes-interpelles-apres-le-meurtre-dune-femme-transgenre/

https://www.yarnsheal.com.au/transfeminicide-in-new-caledonia-joella-beaten-to-death/

https://la1ere.franceinfo.fr/nouvellecaledonie/une-enquete-ouverte-pour-homicide-volontaire-apres-la-mort-d-une-personne-ce-week-end-a-saint-quentin-1669749.html

https://tetu.com/2026/02/11/transfeminicide-transphobie-noumea-nouvelle-caledonie-joella-meurtre-femme-trans-news-actu/

https://www.lefigaro.fr/faits-divers/nouvelle-caledonie-deux-hommes-mis-en-examen-pour-le-meurtre-d-une-femme-transgenre-20260210?msockid=1b4039e1062b6db334242c2f07686c32

https://www.ledauphine.com/faits-divers-justice/2026/02/10/une-femme-transgenre-battue-a-mort-par-deux-hommes-a-noumea

https://voixducaillou.nc/2026/02/11/meurtre-de-joella-les-suspects-incarceres-le-pays-sous-le-choc/

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=789245174197239

Report added: 14 Feb 2026. Last updated: 27 Feb 2026

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