Medellín Mayor's Office recognizes that violence against the LGBTI+ population has increased in the city

Due to the homicides of people of the LGBTI population in Medellín, so far this year, the city is going through a wave of violence that keeps the authorities on alert and that has generated fear among diverse citizens.

In response to Infobae, the city administration noted that “in 2022 there has been an increase in physical violence and assaults that endanger the lives, integrity and safety of people with gay sexual orientation in Medellin.” Although they also recognize the vulnerability of trans people, the main victims of violence.

This increase is mainly due to the 6 homicides of gay men that occurred in the first quarter of the year in the city. All from people between 27 and 30 years of age, two of whom have already been clarified with the capture of two perpetrators in different cases.

The other four cases are still under investigation with the support of an interdisciplinary investigative group, from the Mayor's Office, together with the Office of the Prosecutor and the Police, and with the offer of up to 80 million pesos for information allowing their capture.

The details of the investigation are kept under summary reserve, but as explained by the Mayor's Office, common elements have been identified in the six recorded homicides: alleged use of dating apps and sexual encounters through which victims and perpetrators were contacted, the non-use of firearms and the apparent the absence of a prior link between the victims and the aggressors.

“The analysis that allows the situation to be carried out is the warning about the use of dating and sexual encounters applications, in general and not only by the LGBTI population, since it exposes people to possible risks such as those of the regrettable cases that have already occurred. That is why the invitation is not to stop enjoying free sexual and erotic lives, but to take precautions when it comes to generating encounters with strangers,” said the Mayor's Office.

Other common elements are that victims have been attacked in hotels or in their own homes. For that reason, the administration notified the closure of one of the hotels where one of the murders investigated took place in the San Joaquín neighborhood.

Likewise, together with the Metropolitan Police and the Mayor's Office, they have worked to intensify controls in hotels and motels in the areas where the events occurred, mainly in commune 8, to ensure compliance with the rules for the operation of these spaces.

According to figures, still under verification, from the organization Colombia Diversa, in the first quarter of 2021 there were 2 homicides of gay men in the city of Medellin, while the figures for the first months of 2022 are triple.

- If the person is not previously known, always be in public places.

- Find out with acquaintances if they know or have previous information about the person they will meet.

- Inform friends, family or relatives when you are going to have an encounter with someone unknown and provide them with information about the person, place and time of the meeting.

- Activate “real-time location” on WhatsApp and share it to friends, family or relatives when an encounter with someone unknown occurs and notify them once they are in a safe place again.

- Do not frequent hotels, motels or residences that do not comply with national regulations consisting of requesting the ID of persons who enter to verify their identity and age of majority.

- Be very alert to suspicious or strange situations or acts on the part of the unknown person, immediately leave the place and notify the authorities through the emergency line 123, module DIVERSO.

- Notify the authorities if it is unknown of the whereabouts of a person who is known to be having such an encounter with an unknown person.

- Do not board foreign vehicles with the unknown person. Always try to use authorized public transport vehicles.

- Activate the “call or emergency alert” functions on mobile phones.

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