A court in Peru has sentenced three police officers to 17 years in prison each for physically and sexually assaulting a transgender woman at a police station in 2008, a case that attracted widespread international attention.
The officers, identified as Dino Ponce, Luis Quispe and Juan Leon, were convicted of aggravated torture and sexual abuse. The court ordered their immediate imprisonment following the verdict delivered on Monday.
The case centres on the assault of Azul Rojas at a police station in northern Peru. In 2020, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) ruled that Peru had failed in its handling of the case and condemned the country’s response to the attack. The court also noted that Rojas’ identity as a member of the LGBTQ community was an aggravating factor in the abuse.
Following the IACHR ruling, the Peruvian government issued a public apology and reopened investigations into the incident. The trial of the officers began in January this year.
Human rights groups have described the judgment as a significant step toward accountability and justice, particularly in cases involving abuse by security forces and discrimination against LGBTQ persons.
The ruling marks a landmark moment in Peru’s judicial response to human rights violations committed by state agents.
