Transgender woman jailed in Scotland rape case

Transgender woman jailed in Scotland rape caseA transgender woman in Scotland convicted of raping two women before beginning to transition was on Tuesday jailed for eight years.

by Agence France-Presse

28-02-2023 15:21

in LGBTQIA

Transgender woman jailed in Scotland rape case. Image from Twitter by MaranMatters

A transgender woman in Scotland convicted of raping two women before beginning to transition was on Tuesday jailed for eight years, in a case that has stoked political controversy in the UK.

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Isla Bryson was handed the prison sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh, and will also spend a further three years on licence.

The 31-year-old was convicted last month of raping two women in 2016 and in 2019 while still a man known as Adam Graham.

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The case garnered widespread attention and a public outcry after Bryson was initially held in a women's prison, before the Scottish government reversed course and removed the rapist from the facility.

After details of the contentious case emerged last month, the Scottish Prison Service decided transgender women with a history of violence against women would no longer be sent to all-female prisons.

Scotland transgender issues Scottish Justice Minister Keith Brown ordered an urgent review of current practices.

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First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who this month announced she will be standing down after nearly a decade as Scotland's leader, has struggled with her answers to questions about the case in interviews.

It comes with transgender issues in the spotlight after Sturgeon's devolved government passed legislation in December to make it easier for people to self-identify their gender.

The UK government has blocked the law from obtaining royal assent, citing the potential negative impact on UK-wide equalities legislation, and setting up a legal showdown between the two governments.

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The Scottish parliament, set up in 1999, sets policy in Scotland in areas such as health and education, with the UK government in London retaining powers to determine issues affecting all four nations of the United Kingdom.

LGBTQIA allies Two of the three candidates vying to replace Sturgeon as Scottish first minister have indicated they would not continue the court battle with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government in London.

Bryson claimed during her trial to have decided to transition gender aged 29 after wanting to make the change since the age of four.

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The convicted rapist is currently taking hormones and seeking surgery to complete gender reassignment, the court heard.

However, Bryson's estranged wife, Shonna Graham, has questioned her former partner's motives for the decision in newspaper interviews.

Agence France-Presse

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