Aussie Paper Criticized for Headline About 'Shemale' Murder Victim

An Australia newspaper has gone 'down-under,' hitting below the belt with by referring to a murdered transgender woman as a 'she-male' and a 'ladyboy,' causing a wave of outrage from readers.

The Independent UK reports that after Indonesian transwoman Mayang Prasetyo was allegedly murdered and dismembered by her boyfriend Marcus Volke, Rupert Murdoch's NewsCorp publication the Courier-Mail ran a headline, "Monster Chef and the She-Male," with the inside story headlines, "Ladyboy and the Butcher."

The Independent also reported that Volke apparently killed himself while fleeing from the Queensland Police. After neighbors called in concerns about the smell, the cops came to the former chef's apartment in Teneriffe, Brisbane, and "upon arrival, officers discovered human remains inside a unit," according to a spokesperson. Volke reportedly ran from the police through the back door and jumped over a balcony. His body was later found in an industrial bin.

"A search of surrounding streets later led to the discovery of a man's body," said the spokesman, and reporters believe that Volke had been cooking his deceased partner in chemicals when police arrived.

In response, the Brisbane Trans Community launched a petition on Change.org, demanding that The Courier-Mail, "publicly apologise [sic] for articles relating to Mayang Prasetyo. We request that future articles relating to the transgender and sex worker communities align with your Code of Conduct."

"I am seeking justification and explanation for the terminology used throughout the Courier Mail's reporting on this incidence as well as the relevance Mayang Prasetyo's sex assigned at birth has to her horrific murder," reads the letter. "News Limited should be deeply ashamed of the terminology used in this story as well as the clear 'victim blaming' it implies."

The petition, which has currently been signed by 17,500 people, also demands that the publication run an article about the prevalence of gender-related violence in Australia and worldwide, noting that the latest statistics show 1,509 reported murders in the last six years.