Brazil: Transwoman Beaten to Death by Pro Footballer

Thalia Costa Barbosa, a 33-year-old transwoman, was found dead, with signs of being assaulted, in the Brazilian municipality of Sao Borja, Rio Grande do Sul, near the bank of the Uruguaia River on June 21.

RELATED: 
'WHO Still Calls Trans Identity A Disorder': Mexican Activists

The primary suspect, according to the chief of police Marcos Viana, is Douglas Gluszszak, a 22-year-old professional footballer who plays for the second division team Sao Borja Sporting Association.

Viana said that Gluszszak confessed to the crime, saying that he maintained a relationship with Costa Barbosa over the past two weeks and that, “over the past few days, started to receive threats from the victim.”

Those threats allegedly included publishing “photos of him with her on social media,” Viana said.

He went on to note that police investigators are still unsure “how he killed the victim, but there are marks on her face which appear to have come from a sharp object as if it were a bottle. We'll only know for sure after forensic review.”

Sao Borja Sporting Association's sports director, Eduardo Rocha Santos, described Gluszszak as a “disciplined sportsman.” He said the athlete “always participated in training sessions,” that the team “never had problems with him,” and that he had “excellent relationships with his fellow teammates. His imprisonment comes as a big surprise for the whole team.”

The National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals reported 179 murders of transgender people in Brazil in 2017, the highest rate in the last decade. The number also places the South American country as a global leader in this type of crime.