Lawyer: Photos of dead 'Jennifer' had to be published
MANILA, Philippines — Lawyer Harry Roque apologized on Thursday for the uncensored publication of photos showing the body of transgender Jeffrey "Jennifer" Laude inside the bathroom of a motel in Olongapo City.
In a statement posted on his website, Roque, lead counsel for the Laude family in the murder case against an American Marine, said he "learned" a lesson after he realized that the "grotesque" images could have offended readers.
"After six hours, I removed it from my blog realizing that I would have to device a way first to warn the reader that it could be one of the most horrifying images ever photographed," Roque said.
Roque and the family of the victim released the photos to the media for the first time last Tuesday at the University of the Philippines Law Center in Quezon City.
The lawyer maintained, however, that the "picture ... had to be published."
"Primarily because judging from the pronouncements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and its supporters, the public obviously does not know just how gruesome her murder was," he said.
He said that while the public is aware of reports that Laude was drowned in a toilet bowl, but many are not privy that he was also strangled and beaten.
"The anger is not only because Pemberton is suspected to have killed Jennifer. It is also because of the absolutely barbaric and savage manner by which Pemberton may have killed her," Roque said, referring to suspect Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton, currently under United States costudy at Camp Aguinaldo.
Roque said that the intent of the release of the photos is to "explain the Laude family's anger and their desire to see Pemberton in the flesh."
The lawyer hoped that, through the photos, the public would understand the misbehavior of Laude's German boyfriend, Marc Sueselbeck, and sister, Malou, in breaching a security perimeter at the military headquarters.
"Under human rights law, the victim’s right to reparation entitles them to trauma and psychosocial assistance to restore their emotional and mental well-being prior to the breach of their rights. Instead, Marc was branded as an undesirable alien and Malou was threatened with prosecution," he added.
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