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# US Marine excused for killing trans woman
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/us-marine-excused-for-killing-trans-woman/
- Published: 2020-09-13T08:30:31.000Z
- Updated: 2020-09-11T06:40:17.000Z
- Description: Philippines president has granted an absolute pardon’ to American Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton after he killed a transgender Filipino woman, Jennifer Laude, in 2014.
- Author: Rachel Badham
- Tags: News, Politics, LGBTQ, Philippines, Trans, Trans Rights

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/jennifer-laude-protests-600-400.jpg)

**Philippines** president **Rodrigo Duterte** has ‘granted an absolute pardon’ to American Marine **Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton** after he killed a transgender Filipino woman, **Jennifer Laude**, in 2014\. Pemberton [reportedly](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-54063247?ref=scenemag.co.uk) strangled Laude in **Olangapo City** after the pair checked into a local hotel together. Pemberton has only served half of his ten-year sentence.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/pemberton-600.jpg)

In court he said he attacked Laude after ‘realising she was transgender’ but claimed she was alive when he left the room. His words in court described gay/[trans panic defence](https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/member-features/gay-trans-panic-defense/?ref=scenemag.co.uk) which attempts to legitimise violence against the LGBTQ+ community by using the victim’s gender identity or sexuality to excuse the perpetrator.

Lawyer **Rowena Garcia-Flores** told the [**Washington Times**](https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/sep/7/philippine-leader-pardons-us-marine-in-transgender/?ref=scenemag.co.uk) their client Pemberton was ‘very happy’ to receive the news, and the pardon would result in immediate prison release. Duterte [addressed](https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2020/09/07/joseph-pemberton-us-marine-jennifer-laude-transgender-murder/5741813002/?ref=scenemag.co.uk) his move on television on **Monday 7 September**, saying Pemberton had been well behaved in prison and this was the ‘fair’ thing to do.

Filipino human rights group **Karapatan** condemned the release of Pemberton, [saying](https://twitter.com/karapatan/status/1302947130869346304?ref=scenemag.co.uk) it is ‘a despicable and shameless mockery of justice’. They argued Duterte’s decision was him bowing to ‘imperialist interests of the US’ after the case caused tension between the two nations. #JusticeForJennifer has trended globally on Twitter. Site users[ tweeted](https://twitter.com/charli%5Fsctex/status/1302954094563188746?ref=scenemag.co.uk) Pemberton ‘deserves to rot in jail for life’ and have [demanded](https://twitter.com/charli%5Fsctex/status/1302954094563188746?ref=scenemag.co.uk) ‘justice for all victims of hate crimes and imperialism’.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/karapatan-600.jpg)