Philippines: German fiancé of murdered trans woman urges suspect US marine to face investigation
The German fiancé of a murdered transgender woman has called on the formally charged US marine to face the investigation on the killing.
It comes after 26-year-old Jennifer Laude Sueselbeck was found strangled on this month, naked with her head in the toilet.
US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton – who was one of hundreds of US marines in the area for a training exercise – was formally charged last week of the woman’s murder.
GMA News reports that Marc Sueselbeck, who previously condemned the “animalistic bestiality” of Pemberton, has now urged the suspect the face the preliminary investigation.
He said: “I hope that he would at least stand there… and face the full consequence of what he did.”
In the same report, Mr Sueselbeck said he is not looking for revenge against the suspect.
“I hope that justice will be granted, though I will not be looking for revenge… I just hope he will get the sentence that he deserves, whatever that would be,” he said.
Politicians in the Philippines are pushing for a tougher anti-discrimination law following the incident, which has also stirred anti-US sentiment.
Senator Bam Aquino said: “We should impose heavier penalties so that these discriminatory and inhumane acts will be eradicated.”
He has pushed for a new bill entitled the Anti-Discrimination Act of 2014 which seeks to prohibit and penalise discrimination of any form, citing a rising number of hate crimes against LGBT people has risen in the past years.
