Transgender pioneer Doloresse Brutally Murdered

Melanie Nathan, May 14, 2026. African Human Rights Coalition Statement: We extend our deepest condolences to our colleagues, friends, and chosen family in Cameroon as they mourn the devastating loss of Doloresse, a courageous transgender pioneer whose life and legacy will not be forgotten.

Doloresse was a symbol of resilience, visibility, and resistance in the face of relentless violence and marginalization. Her courage in living openly in an environment that punishes identity inspired countless others and helped inspire a generation of LGBTQI+ advocates and community members.

We unequivocally condemn this brutal killing. Doloresse’s murder is not an isolated act of violence; it exists within a broader environment in which LGBTQI+ individuals are systematically targeted, dehumanized, and left unprotected. Laws criminalizing same-sex conduct and gender expression serve as a catalyst for brutality, legitimizing violence and emboldening perpetrators.

The persistence of impunity further entrenches this injustice. When violence against LGBTQI+ individuals is not properly investigated or prosecuted, it sends a clear and dangerous message that such acts are tolerated. This climate of impunity enables continued abuse by both state and non-state actors.

We call on the Cameroonian government to immediately and thoroughly investigate the murder of Doloresse, to hold those responsible accountable, and to take concrete steps to ensure the protection of LGBTQI+ individuals. Justice must not be delayed, and it must not be denied.

We stand in solidarity with the LGBTQI+ community in Cameroon. We honor Doloresse’s life, her courage, and her enduring impact. Her legacy compels us to continue the fight for dignity, safety, and human rights for all.

This is a Cross Post from Erase 76 Crimes and author Jean Jacques Dissoke,

Cameroon’s LGBTQI community mourns the loss of transgender pioneer Doloresse,

May 13, 2026. By Jean Jacques Dissoke, [1]

She was found with her throat slit in Yaoundé, Cameroon

The Cameroonian transgender community is in mourning. Doloresse, an emblematic figure of trans visibility in Cameroon, was found with her throat slit on the morning of May 12 in Yaoundé.

According to initial reports, the perpetrator remains unidentified, and the exact circumstances of the murder are still unclear. Authorities have not yet released any official details, while the LGBTQI+ community expresses shock, anger, fear, and profound sadness.

Doloresse was not a trans woman like any other: she was among the first in Cameroon to come out publicly, at a time when simply expressing one’s gender identity exposed one to extreme violence. Her courage inspired an entire generation of activists, trans youth, and human rights defenders.

A life marked by torture, violence and humiliation

Doloresse’s life has been a long journey of suffering and resistance.

She has experienced:

• Repeated physical violence, often committed with complete impunity;

• Arbitrary arrests, motivated by institutional transphobia;

• Abusive detentions, the most striking of which was her incarceration about 10 years ago in Yaoundé’s Kondengui Central Prison;

• Family rejection, which forced her to survive alone in a hostile environment; and

• Constant social stigmatization, which followed her in the streets, in public services, and in the neighborhoods where she tried to live.
  

Her time in Kondengui deeply shocked human rights organizations. She was defended there by Alice Nkom, a leading figure in the fight for the rights of sexual and gender minorities in Cameroon.

Her case brought to light the brutal treatment inflicted on transgender people within the Cameroonian penal system.

A symbol of resilience shattered by violence Despite the humiliations, beatings, arrests, and rejections, Doloresse continued to live with dignity, affirming her identity and supporting other trans people younger than herself.

She had become, despite herself, a symbol of resilience, a familiar face in community circles, a living memory of the trans struggles in Cameroon.

Her brutal murder serves as a stark reminder of the extreme vulnerability of trans people in the country, exposed to social, police, institutional, and now deadly violence.

[1] Link: https://76crimes.com/2026/05/13/cameroons-lgbtqi-community-mourns-the-loss-of-transgender-pioneer-doloresse/

NOTABLY in 2021 2 Transwomen were sentenced under the anti-Homosexuality Criminalization Penal Code - 437-1 to 5 years in Prison. Two transgender women in Cameroon have been sentenced to five years in jail for contravening homosexuality laws.

Their lawyers say they were found guilty of "attempting homosexuality" as well as outraging public decency and problems with their ID cards.

One of them is trans celebrity Shakiro, a YouTuber who highlights the problems Cameroon's banned LGBT community faces.

She and her friend Patricia have been in detention since February after their arrest at a restaurant. Outcome of the Appeal (Shakiro & Patricia)

• They were sentenced in May 2021 to 5 years in prison under Article 347-1

• After significant international pressure and legal advocacy (including from Alice Nkom and others), their sentences were reduced on appeal.

• They were released in 2022 after serving approximately 17 months in detention.

• Their convictions were not overturned

• The release was effectively sentence reduction / early release, not exoneration