Trans laws could let rapists target women inmates, says jail boss
DANGEROUS male offenders will be given free rein to abuse female prisoners if plans to make it easier for people to change gender get the go-ahead, it was claimed last night.
A former senior official in the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has warned that Scottish Government proposals to alter the law to allow people to ‘self-identify’ as the opposite gender will be a ‘disaster’ for vulnerable women in jail.
Rhona Hotchkiss, the former governor of HMP Cornton Vale, says transgender units should be created or it is only a matter of time before a prison baby is conceived by a woman and a male-bodied transgender woman.
The SPS allows inmates who identify as the opposite gender to request to be moved to a male or female prison. But officials can block the transfer of the most serious offenders – including those with histories of domestic or sexual abuse – if it is deemed ‘proportionate and necessary’, Miss Hotchkiss said.
She added that new laws would mean the SPS would have a legal obligation to move inmates – including sex offenders – to women’s prisons if they request this.
It could mean violent prisoners, such as transgender woman Tiffany Scott, could be allowed to transfer to women’s facilities.
Prolific criminal Scott, 28, formally Andrew Burns, is known for attacking prison guards. Karen White – born Stephen Wood – was placed in female jail HMP New Hall in West Yorkshire after identifying as a woman, despite being convicted of sex attacks.
While there, White sexually assaulted fellow inmates.
A backlash over the gender self-ID policy – supported by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and trans rights campaigners – has split the SNP.
Miss Hotchkiss, who worked as governor of three prisons and retired from the SPS in February after a decade, said: ‘I’m not suggesting for a minute all transgender people would attack, assault or rape women, but I am most definitely saying that it has a negative impact on the mental well-being and the feelings of safety
‘Incidents of totally inappropriate behaviour’
and security for women when you put a male-bodied person with them.
‘It would put them in a very vulnerable position, it would increase their distress – on some occasions it would put their physical safety at risk and I think there could be unimaginable consequences like pregnancy.
‘We’re dealing with vulnerable women and pathological men.’
Miss Hotchkiss, a key player in the SNP Women’s Pledge campaign for women to ‘have the right to maintain their sex-based protections as set out in the Equalities Act 2010’, highlighted the case of one transwoman who moved to a female prison, changed her mind and demanded to go back to the male estate. When the move was not made immediately, Miss Hotchkiss said she threatened to rape the female prisoners.
She also knew of one transwoman with male genitals who walked around the unit in tight leggings when aroused, causing distress to the female inmates. Another graphically described penetrative sex over the phone to their girlfriend, to the discomfort of those around them.
Miss Hotchkiss said: ‘There were several incidents, when I was governor, of inappropriate behaviour from male-bodied people. There are quite a few men with nefarious reasons to try to get to the women’s estate.’
Stonewall Scotland disputed the fact that risk assessments of transgender inmates would be scrapped under the new laws.
The Scottish Government said a full risk assessment is carried out in each individual case and this will continue.