A US marine has been sentenced to 12 years behind bars for killing a transgender woman in Manila, the Philippines.
Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton choked Jeffry “Jennifer” Laude to death after she gave him an oral sex in a hotel room.
Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton choked Jeffry “Jennifer” Laude to death after she gave him an oral sex in a hotel room
The man was on a break after participating in joint military exercises in the country last year, when the incident occurred. According to Pemberton’s defense, he met Laude, who was dressed as a schoolgirl, in a bar and immediately agreed to have sex when she offered.
But when they were in a hotel room, he “felt something different, something that was not supposed to be there and realized that [Laude] was a dude. He was so enraged and in the heat of passion arm-locked, dragged him inside the bathroom and dunked his head in the toilet bowl.”
Pemberton will serve between six and 12 years for homicide
Laude’s lifeless body was later found with her head inside the toilet. In court Pemberton admitted to choking, but not killing Laude, insisiting she was alive when he left her. Moreover, he claimed that he had acted in self-defense after discovering the real gender of his lover.
Pemberton will serve between six and 12 years for homicide in American prison. He will also has to pay more than 4,5 million pesos (around $130,000 or N25,872,600) to the family of Jennifer Laude.
Protesters display placards outside a court in Olongapo city, north of Manila December 1, 2015
“This is a sad day for the Philippines. It shows the U.S. gets what it wants,” said lawyer Harry Roque. This is not quite a victory. We expected a murder conviction but instead got homicide. We are not contented with the decision,” Ms Laude’s sister, Malou, said.
The killing had sparked anger and numerous protest in the Philippines, asking for prosecution in the country where the murder occurred and demanding the most severe possible punishment for the offender.
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