PROTESTERS gathered outside of Holyrood to urge Scottish ministers against placing transgender criminals in female prisons.
Gender Critical campaigners For Women Scotland joined with reform group Keep Prisons Safe and chanted “shame” outside of the parliament, amid an ongoing row over which prisons transgender convicts should be kept in.
Convicted double rapist Isla Bryson - who identifies as a woman but commited her crimes as a man - was housed at Cornton Vale female prison in segregation as she awaited sentencing but was swiftly moved to HMP Edinburgh following public outcry.
There is currently a ban in place on trans criminals with a history of violence against women being put in female prisons and an urgent review has been carried out into the handling of the Bryson case, with the key findings expected to be published by the end of this week.
The protest group said urgent questions must be answered on how the Scottish Prison Service, which assesses transgender allocation based on “risk”, deemed the initial placement of Bryson suitable.
Scottish Tory MSP Rachael Hamilton told the crowd that the case of Bryson, who known as Adam Graham at the time of the offences, exposed “major flaws” in current policy.
The rally was also attended by SNP MSPs Michelle Thomson, Ash Regan and Kenneth Gibson, who were amongst nine SNP MSPs who rebelled against the government whip and voted against the gender reforms before Christmas, and a handful of Conservative politicians.
Hamilton, who warned of the potential consequences of self-ID during the Holyrood debate last year on the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Act, said: “It is absolutely clear that the case of Adam Graham, who now identifies as Isla Bryson, highlights the major flaws in the current policy.
“Whilst this government has tried to wash their hands of responsibility, I want to make it clear that whatever they say, it is undeniably clear that this government has ministerial oversight of the Scottish Prison Service.
“It is absurd and offensive that a double rapist was sent to Cornton Vale. It is because of a flawed policy.”
For Women Scotland co-director Susan Smith accused the Scottish Government of “abdicating responsibility” as she urged First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to get her “head out of the clouds”.
She said: “I think Nicola Sturgeon intervened in the case of Isla Bryson out of pure embarrassment because it exposed the idiocy, frankly, of these kinds of policies.
“But it’s not helping women who are still locked up today, with some really violent offenders.
“I would say to Nicola Sturgeon that she needs to get her head out of the clouds and she needs to deal with reality.
“She needs to sort out her priorities and women need to be a priority in Scotland.”
It comes as the FM told Douglas Ross to take tips from former Scots Tory leader Ruth Davison, after he repeatedly asked Sturgeon if Bryson, and another trans prisoner Tiffany Scott, were either a "man or a woman" at FMQs.
The FM quoted Davidson who previously said "gotcha" questions on gender are "not helpful".
