Abstract

LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning) individuals face a range of harassment, abuse, and violence that are often shrouded in secrecy. The homophobic attitude of members in authority makes queer individuals’ lives exacerbated as they are labeled and stigmatized as criminals before law. This research seeks to analyze the victimization experienced by queer individuals and the crimes perpetrated against them. The focus of this analysis is to shed light on how queer people are influenced and misled by those in positions of authority. This study explores the sides of queer victims under the constraint of power that stigmatizes and coerces queer individuals with their identity. Murder in Mahim by Jerry Pinto serves as the subject of analysis—a crime novel depicting the murder of a young gay man at the Matunga road railway station restroom, followed by a series of related murders. These crimes are rooted in structural conditions established and enforced by those in power, resulting in the victimization of queer individuals portrayed in the novel. Victimology is the branch of criminology that studies scientifically the relationship between an injured party and an offender by examining the causes and the nature of consequent suffering. While criminology has not entirely overlooked queer victims, their experiences have often been underexplored and misunderstood. Thus, a specialized subfield known as Queer Victimology has emerged, focusing exclusively on the victimization of LGBTQ individuals. This article adheres to the framework of Queer Victimology, examining how queer individuals are often misinterpreted, coerced, manipulated, and implicated in crimes solely because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.