The end of Nicola Sturgeon’s premiership was mired in controversy over her plans for trans rights, her botched gender reform bill and the rather disturbing revelation that trans rapist Isla Bryson had been housed in a women’s prison. And now it has emerged that Police Scotland even considered logging Bryson as female on the sex offenders’ register. Good heavens…
Bryson, who was jailed for raping two women while known as a man, changed gender while waiting to stand trial. In a rather shocking move, the rapist was subsequently sent to Scotland’s female-only Cornton Vale prison by the Scottish Prison Service while awaiting sentencing. The blunder came to light at the same time as Sturgeon was attempting to pass legislation to make it easier to allow people to legally change gender – and, after immense backlash, Bryson was moved to a male facility.
While Police Scotland insisted last week that rapists won’t be allowed to self-ID as women – with Chief Constable Jo Farrell remarking ‘you can only commit that crime as a man’ – a leaked document seen by Sky News suggests that hasn’t always been the force’s attitude. An internal 2023 memo, ‘Sex and Gender’, considered how Bryson could be dealt with after leaving prison. The file described how Bryson could be registered as ‘female’ in the sex offenders’ list and the crime database, noting:
When this individual comes back into contact with Police Scotland it would likely be a public protection matter in the management of sex offenders. In this instance they may be recorded as a female with the name Isla Bryson however the trans history would be appropriate to be retained on relevant policing systems.
Crikey. Farrell has been adamant the force has always believed that only men can commit the crime – insisting this ‘isn’t a different position’ from any expressed previously – but the new leak raises rather serious questions about it all. For its part, Police Scotland stated: ‘The chief constable addressed the matter of gender self-identification at the Scottish Police Authority board in September 2024, during which Police Scotland committed to a broader review.’ But that hasn’t exactly placated everyone. Deputy leader of the Scottish Tories, Rachael Hamilton, slammed the force over the ‘jaw-dropping revelation’, fuming: ‘Police bosses and SNP ministers must urgently come clean as to why this insulting, out-of-touch policy was ever adopted, and reassure the public that it has been ditched for good.’ Quite.
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