SEATTLE, USA – A man convicted of two separate violent attacks on transgender women has been sentenced to a combined prison and jail term of more than seven years. The sentencing hearings revealed a pattern of targeted violence and unremorseful transphobia.
Andre Karlow faced sentencing in two different cases on Friday in Seattle. The judge ordered the sentences to be served consecutively, meaning Karlow will first complete a 180-day jail term for a misdemeanor assault before beginning a seven-year prison sentence for a felony hate crime assault.
The more serious conviction stems from a March 2025 incident in Seattle’s University District. According to prosecutors, Karlow led a group of men in a brutal attack on a transgender woman. Witnesses testified that the group kicked and punched the victim while shouting anti-trans slurs. The attack left her hospitalized with significant injuries, including a brain bleed, fractured teeth, and a black eye. For this, a jury convicted Karlow of second-degree assault and a hate crime, resulting in the seven-year prison sentence.
The second case involved a 2024 assault on a Sound Transit fare ambassador, who is also a transgender woman. Prosecutors stated that Karlow punched the woman in the face at a light rail station after she asked to verify his fare. Before striking her, Karlow reportedly used slurs and called her “a boy.” This incident led to a conviction for misdemeanor assault and the 180-day jail sentence.
A Pattern of Hatred
During the hearings, the prosecution painted a picture of a man motivated by deep-seated hatred. Assistant Prosecutor Yessenia Manzo told the court that Karlow’s actions went beyond individual assaults. “He validated the fear that so many members of the transgender community carry, which is being attacked for simply existing in public,” Manzo said.
The court also heard evidence of Karlow's explicit transphobia from a recorded phone call he made from jail. In the call, Karlow stated:
“If I didn’t hate trans people before, I do now absolutely. I think that Trump should kill them all. Get them out of here. They are weird.”
In her sentencing for the misdemeanor assault, Judge Andrea Robertson noted this evidence. “There is a clear and undeniable pattern here of not only creating danger and harm to people in the community but targeted, biased, motivated intention to cause harm to a particular subset of individuals who are simply trying to live an authentic life,” she said.
Defiant Until the End
Karlow displayed no remorse in the courtroom. During the first hearing, he initially refused to sign the judgment paperwork, prompting Judge Jim Rogers to find him in contempt of court and add 30 days to his sentence. Karlow only complied after learning the refusal would result in more time served.
When given the opportunity to address the court, he declined, stating, “I’m pretty much advised to remain silent, so that’s what I’m going to do.” As he was led from the courtroom, he muttered that he was being persecuted.
While this case occurred in the United States, it serves as a stark reminder of the violent transphobia that remains a threat to our community members across the globe, including here in the Netherlands.
