Reply to Bruce Golding, Prime Minister of Jamaica

April 17, 2008  
 
The Most Honorable Bruce Golding  
Prime Minister  
Jamaica House  
Kingston 6, Jamaica  
Sent by facsimile  
 
Dear Prime Minister Golding:  

Related Material Hated to Death: Homophobia, Violence, and Jamaica’s HIV/AIDS Epidemic Report, November 16, 2004 Jamaica: Shield Gays from Mob Attacks Press Release, February 1, 2008 Letter to Bruce Golding, Prime Minister of Jamaica Letter, February 27, 2008 Letter from Bruce Golding, Prime Minister of Jamaica Letter, February 28, 2008 More on Human Rights Watch's Work on Jamaica Country Page More on Human Rights Watch's work on LGBT Rights Thematic Page More on Human Rights Watch's work on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights Thematic Page Free Email Newsletter

We write on behalf of Human Rights Watch to thank you for your response to our letter of February 27, 2008, expressing our concern regarding a violent homophobic attack on a group of men in Mandeville in January 2008 and the disappearance of one of the victims of the attack.  
 
We are grateful that you acknowledge the seriousness of homophobic violence and that you acknowledge the need for a prompt, thorough investigation of the January attack in Mandeville, with a view to prosecution of the perpetrators of this attack.  
 
We hope that you will express your condemnation of homophobic violence publicly. We also hope that your response to such violence will begin a dialogue with human rights groups working to end homophobic violence and abuse in Jamaica and strengthen efforts to protect all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Jamaicans against further such violence and abuse.  
Sincerely,  
 
 
Rebecca Schleifer  
Advocate  
HIV/AIDS & Human Rights Program  
 
Scott Long  
Director  
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Rights Program  
 
Cc: Hon. Dorothy Lightbourne, Minister of Justice  
R. Admiral Hardley Lewin, Commissioner of Police  
Mark Shields, Deputy Commissioner of Police  
Raymond Wolfe, Permanent Representative to the United Nations  

 

 

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