Spanish
Santo Domingo.– The American citizen Ezri Hajiune, who recently passed away in Vacacional de Haina, was a hermaphrodite, as confirmed by lawyer and human rights activist Carlos Sánchez, who has been handling the case for weeks and has requested a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the death.
Sánchez explained that Ezri Hajiune, between 18 and 22 years old, presented both feminine and masculine physical characteristics. The lawyer detailed that, although he wore men's clothing, his body development showed more defined traits of the female sex.You may be interested in: Outcry on the outskirts of Vacacional de Haina
"The problem was that this young, hermaphrodite woman with evident mental disorders was locked up with dozens of men in totally inhumane conditions," Sánchez denounced. The case began to be known publicly when the lawyer received videos and photos showing the young woman playing with dirty water from a toilet, locked in a cell without a blanket, without a sheet, and in total abandonment. "We were told there was a person who looked like a man, who looked like a woman. When we investigated, we realized it was a person with an ambiguous sexual condition," he explained. Ezri Hajiune was detained in April in the Eastern region of the country, after being found disoriented on a beach, without documents, and was sent to the Haina center due to her irregular migratory status. Immigration assured that she received medical attention and that her identity was confirmed in June through facial recognition, after weeks without knowing with certainty her nationality, sex, or name. The General Directorate of Migration reported that he died on the morning of Monday, June 23, while preparing for a medical check-up. They assure that he did not show visible signs of violence and that the competent authorities were notified, including the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) and the United States Embassy. However, Carlos Sánchez insists that death cannot be separated from the conditions in which she was held. "We don't know if she died from physical violence, medical negligence, or the extreme situation she was in. But the truth is that she had a condition that warranted a completely different treatment than the one she received. The State failed in its duty to protect her," she affirmed. The lawyer stated that, beyond the death, the institutional handling of the case from the beginning is worrying. "Dominican society is still not prepared to address issues of sexual diversity and ambiguous identity. But that doesn't justify violating a person's fundamental rights, even more so when they are in the custody of the State," he said.
