Family of transgender woman killed in front of Miami City Ballet is criticizing the justice system for failing to protect her

The family of Andrea Doria Dos Passos, a transgender woman found beaten to death in Miami Beach, is speaking out after her alleged killer, Gregory Fitzgerald Gibert, was arrested and charged with manslaughter. Dos Passos, 37, was discovered outside the Miami City Ballet with injuries to her face, head and chest. Surveillance footage showed Gibert hitting Dos Passos with a metal pipe before walking away and throwing it in a trash can. When Gibert was arrested, he was wearing the same blood-stained shoes and shorts as in the video.

Dos Passos’ stepfather, Victor Van Gilst, revealed that she had struggled with psychological problems for years and that he had last spoken to her two weeks before her death. He initially feared it could be a hate crime because Dos Passos was transgender. Advocacy groups including the Human Rights Campaign and the Flamingo Democrats have called for a hate crime charge to be added to Gibert’s current second-degree murder charge. However, Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones stated that there is no evidence that Dos Passos was targeted because of her sexuality or gender.

During Gibert’s court appearance, Miami Dade Judge Mindy Glazer expressed her belief that there was probable cause for a more serious charge, such as first-degree murder, based on the facts in the arrest affidavit. Van Gilst expressed his disappointment with the system, felt that his stepdaughter had been failed by it and said that no one deserves to die in such a brutal way. The family is devastated by Dos Passos’ tragic death and seeks justice for her.

The arrest affidavit details the horrific injuries Dos Passos suffered, including trauma to her face and head, a stab wound to her chest and wooden sticks lodged in her nostrils. The footage showed Dos Passos arriving at the scene and lying down before being attacked by Gibert. Detectives found the metal pipe used in the attack in a garbage can and Gibert was arrested while wearing the same clothing with obvious blood stains on it. Dos Passos’ family is struggling to come to terms with her untimely and violent death.

The Flamingo Democrats have joined other advocacy groups in calling for a hate crime charge to be added to Gibert’s case, while Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones has assured that the case will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Dos Passos’ stepfather emphasized that she was deeply loved and that her tragic death left a void in their lives. The family mourns the loss of Dos Passos and seeks justice and closure for her senseless murder. Gibert’s arrest and subsequent charges have brought some relief to the family, but they are aware that their long journey to seek justice is far from over.