In a historic ruling that was held by the LGBT community in conservative Paraguay, justice on Tuesday convicted a man accused of stabbing a transgender woman and sentenced him to the maximum penalty of 25 years. This is the first oral trial that concludes with a conviction among the more than 60 cases of murder of trans people in the last three decades in the country, activist Mariana Sepúlveda of the Panambí organization told Reuters.

"Today is a historic day, which marks a great precedent ... we did not expect a high conviction and the opposite happened, it was a fair ruling and we are very happy," Sepulveda said after hearing the decision of the three judges of first instance that sentenced Blas Amarilla, 23 years old.

Amarilla was accused of attacking Romina Vargas with a dagger in broad daylight and without saying a word near a plaza in San Lorenzo, a city near the capital in October 2017. Vargas received a chest injury and another to the ribs height. She died before being treated in a hospital.

Outside the courthouse, trans activists carried a sign with the inscription: "There is no justification for impunity." Read more via Reuters