Danielly Rocha
Age 382 May 2025
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
Murdered
Danielly was killed in her home. She was a cook at CasaNem - a shelter for vulnerable LGBTQIA+ people.
Trans activist Dannielly Rocha, 38, was murdered in the early hours of Friday (2), in the Lapa neighborhood, in downtown Rio de Janeiro. A cook at CasaNem — a shelter for vulnerable LGBTQIA+ people — Danny, as she was known by friends and colleagues, was found dead at home after being seen with an as-yet-unidentified man. The case caused great commotion and reignited debates about violence against trans people in Brazil.
State deputy Dani Balbi (PCdoB), the first trans woman elected to the position in Rio, was one of the first to release the news, based on images from the Military Police. In a post on social media, she demanded answers: “She entered the house accompanied by a man who, hours later, left alone. After that, Danny was found dead. It is unacceptable. It is urgent. We want a serious investigation. With every trans woman murdered, it is the State that fails,” she wrote.
Manoela Menandro, a close friend of Danny, told Agência Brasil that she arrived at the crime scene shortly after the incident and saw the police moving around. A neighbor confirmed that he saw the activist enter her home accompanied by an unknown man, who left shortly after. Security cameras at a tire shop recorded the moment the suspect left the place discreetly and apparently nervously, putting something in his pocket — possibly the victim's cell phone, according to Manoela.
The friendship between Manoela and Danny lasted about a decade. She emotionally described the relationship as that of mother and daughter. “Dannielly was like a mother. She took care of me, Ana Luísa, made our food, took care of our animals, cleaned the house. She was everything to us,” she said. According to Manoela, her friend was a generous, cheerful person who was willing to help anyone around her.
Danny's body remains at the Rio de Janeiro Institute of Forensic Medicine (IML) and, according to family members, it should be released in the next few days. Meanwhile, friends, members of parliament and organizations are demanding a speedy investigation and justice for the death of the activist, who dedicated her life to supporting other LGBTQIA+ people at risk of social exclusion.
CasaNem, where Danny worked, was founded in 2015 and is a reference in the shelter of LGBTQIA+ people who have been expelled from their homes or are victims of violence. According to Antra (National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals), Brazil continues to lead the world ranking of murders of trans people: there were 122 victims in 2024, 95% of whom were transvestites or trans women. Danny's death adds to this cruel statistic, reinforcing the urgency of public policies aimed at protecting the trans population.
https://www1.brasilemfolhas.com.br/2025/06/ativista-trans-e-assassinada-na-lapa-no-rio-de-janeiro/
https://belem.com.br/noticia/14746/corpo-ativista-trans-assassinada-rio-sera-sepultado
https://debatecarajas.com.br/corpo-de-ativista-trans-assassinada-no-rj-sera-enterrado-no-pa/
https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/cozinheira-e-ativista-trans-e-assassinada-no-rio-de-janeiro
https://www.cartacapital.com.br/sociedade/ativista-trans-e-assassinada-no-rio-de-janeiro/
https://cidadedeniteroi.com/cidades/rio/ativista-trans-e-encontrada-morta-no-rio-de-janeiro/
https://www.camposemfoco.com.br/mulher-trans-e-morta-dentro-da-propria-casa-na-lapa/
https://www.tupi.fm/sentinelas/ativista-trans-encontrada-morta-casa-lapa/
https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/nacional/sudeste/rj/ativista-trans-e-assassinada-no-rio-de-janeiro/
https://economiaempauta.com.br/ativista-trans-e-assassinada-no-rio-de-janeiro/
https://x.com/danielibalbi/status/1918437422679146609
