The family of a transgender woman from Dallas, Texas, have expressed outrage after her killer is sentenced to only 10 years probation, reports Buzzfeed News.
Jonathan Stuart Kenney, 29, assaulted Janette Tovar, 43, who he described as his life partner, which resulted in her death.
Kenney reportedly slammed Tovar’s head into concrete close to their apartment, and then continued assaulting her when the couple got home.
Later that afternoon he called police to report that Tovar was not breathing or responsive.
The medical report shows that Tovar died from “blunt force trauma to the head.”
Kenney was initially charged with murder by the Dallas County district attorney’s office. But after pleading guilty on Tuesday, he got 10 years deferred adjunction. If Kenney violates the terms of his probation he could still be sentenced to life in jail.
Bangkok US immigration lawyers Chaninat and Leeds have decades of experience arranging US visas for Thai nationals.
In Thai society, transgenders are much more visible and at least on the surface, accepted by the general population. Although assaults and hate crimes against transgenders are likely to be less in Thailand, there is nevertheless a stigma associated with transgenders in Thailand.
Currently, there is an active Thai Transgender Civil Rights Movement.
Tovar’s family made their feelings regarding the sentence by wearing T-shirts memorializing her and carrying signs that read “The World Is Watching.”
Read the full story here.
Related report: Legal Rights of Transgenders and their Partners in Thailand
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