New attack on transgender persons in the Serbian capital

In a written statement, “Egal” said that a transgender person was attacked by an unknown young person while standing in line in a fast food restaurant in Belgrade city center.

“While Lela was paying for the food, an unknown person started punching her on the head and then kicking her. She fell down and lost consciousness. Her friends tried to protect her with their bodies but they also got attacked.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs to Insajder:
“Regarding your question on the behavior of the members of the police at the scene, we inform you that the victim did not make an official complaint to the police or a complaint to the Belgrade Police’s Department of Legality of Work Control,” replied the Ministry last week.

One was punched in the face and the other in the body,” stated Egal, adding that, after the incident, Lela was transported to a hospital emergency room.

A person who was in the company of the attacker did not take part in the incident but, after the attack, he dragged the attacker out of the restaurant.

Last week, another transgender person was attacked and sustained serious injuries. Egal stated that taxi drivers refused to transport the injured person to the hospital, and that the police did not behave professionally.

Police have filed criminal charges against one minor who is under suspicion for the attack on transgender person on 30 April.
“Criminal charges are raised against a minor under suspicion that he committed the attack. The police are intensively searching for other people involved in the incident,” the police told Insajder on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated last week that it would investigate all the “facts and circumstances” regarding the allegations that the police behaved inappropriately toward the attacked transgender person.

Mina Milanovic