By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday condemned the alleged attack on a transgender woman at a club on West Bay Street over the weekend. The US Embassy in Nassau said it expects a full investigation into the claims.

Mr Davis told reporters violence in any form will not be tolerated in The Bahamas.

“So far as the single incident is concerned,” he said, “I want to express my concern to the victim and let that person know that we would be supporting her in whichever way we can to help her through that traumatic experience.”

“In addition, the perpetrator ought to be held to account.”

The embassy’s statement to The Tribune yesterday came after Mr Davis’ comments. 

“No person –– regardless of their gender identity,” it said, “should fear for their safety in The Bahamas. The US embassy expects a full investigation in accordance with the law.”

Owners and managers of the club in question have been difficult to reach to give their side of the story and have not publicly addressed the claims.

Mr Davis, meanwhile, said while the incident was worrying, he did not believe it would negatively affect the country’s tourism industry, calling it “a single incident”.

“This is not the norm as we all know in this country,” he added.

“It’s a singular incident that is not consistent with the conduct of our Bahamian people, particularly towards our visitors and guests, so I don’t expect this to have any negative impact anywhere.”

Attorney Mark Rolle Symonette said the woman, China Diamond, 26, claimed she was attacked by five or six men on Saturday in what she called a “hate crime”.

He claimed his client was stomped and had her wig torn off her head. He said she was beaten “black and blue”. 

She was later arrested for causing harm. She was taken to court, where she was warned before being discharged. The people involved in the altercation did not attend the hearing.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Leamond Deleveaux said yesterday that when the woman was in custody, she did not make a complaint.

He could not say if she declined to make a complaint, but noted she is no longer in the country.

“I have ordered a full and immediate investigation to get to the bottom of this matter,” he said. “Again, we do not condone disrespecting any human being. We fully support human rights.”

Asked if police will question the people involved, he said: “Wherever the investigation takes us, it goes, so obviously that would mean seeing the persons concerned.”

LGBTI activists reacted bitterly to the incident yesterday.

Transgender activist Alexus D’Marco said in a Facebook post: “Every year, trans, intersex and other gender non-conforming individuals experience violence at the hands of individuals who wilfully ignore the fact that all individuals in any jurisdiction have rights and freedoms, chief among which are the right not to be discriminated on the basis of who they are –– that includes sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression and to be free from violence.”