To think that the government is actively facilitating rapists to sexual abuse women?

[SarahJane73]

This month a male with a long history of rape and other sexual and violent offences has been convicted of sexually assaulting more women.

This is probably not a shock to anyone as it is entirely in keeping with this individual's history of behaviour - except that these sexual assaults took place in a women's prison where the rapist was being held because - despite having had no surgery, hormones and still being legally male - they had "self-identified" as being a woman. So the authorities authorised a move to a women's prison where they shared accommodation, showers etc with vulnerable women prisoners - who often have a history of abuse from men and were stuck in an environment with this individual from which they had no escape.

metro.co.uk/2018/10/11/rapist-transgender-woman-jailed-for-life-for-sex-attacks-on-fellow-inmates-8028298/

I don't know how many fully intact male rapists are in women's prison in the UK but White is definitely not the first:

www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/642741/martin-ponting-jessica-winfield-transgender-rapist-prisoner-segregation-hmp-bronzefield

And it is an issue that politicians have been warned about.

In his evidence to the Women and Equalities Committee, Dr James Barrett, President of the British Association of Gender Identity Specialists stated that he was witnessing an “ever-increasing tide of referrals of patients in prison serving long or indeterminate sentences for serious sexual offences. These vastly outnumber the number of prisoners incarcerated for more ordinary, non-sexual, offences. It has been rather naïvely suggested that nobody would seek to pretend transsexual status in prison if this were not actually the case. There are, to those of us who actually interview the prisoners, in fact very many reasons why people might pretend this.”

Others, including the Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, have raised concerns: www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/resources/transgender-prisoners

The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that half of all prisoners identifying as trans are sex offenders: fairplayforwomen.com/transgender-prisoners/

And yet the government have allowed - and continues to allow - this to happen. It seems like only the interests and desires of male sex offenders are being taken into account and the safety of women counts for nothing.

AIBU to think that the government must take some responsibility for enabling these sexual assaults?

You can sign a petition asking for this policy to be reviewed here: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/228767

[Aeroflotgirl]

I agree with you, and it needs to be taken seriously and stop. Why must women's safety and rights must be put on the back peddle, in favour of the rights of a minority of men, who want to change sex so that they can gain access to women, with the view to sexually abuse them.

[Clinicalwaste]

Thanks op signed.
It is a huge scandal but no one really cares about prisoners. I think MPs don’t see them as significant or their issues to be vote winners. The staff know it is wrong and dangerous but are understandably reluctant to whistleblow.
This will become more frequent because women’s prisons are being phased out in favour of smaller rehab type units. If you are a male in a male prison I think you would be a fool not to atleast try to identify as a woman even if you had no ill intent just to see out your sentence in a vastly better environment therefore I predict that there will be a significant increase in male prisoners identifying as women so that they can get a transfer. Some will be dangerous predators and some will just want a better sentence.
It is a hideous abuse of the most vulnerable women in our society.

[Prawnofthepatriarchy]

You're absolutely right, SarahJane73. I've signed the petition and I wonder what else we can do?

[FlissMumsnet]

Hi SarahJane73 - we hope you don't mind us sticking our nose in but as your OP includes a petition; we'll have to move it across to our Petitions board.

The other option is that we edit the OP for you and remove the link - do let us know what you feel is best and we'll go from there.

Thanks

[PlantsArePeopleToo]

It really is utterly disgusting.