The language of reporting is changing

Well that's the crux of all the problems isn't it? Trans is defined as self ID and nothing more. A woman is anyone who feels like a woman.
Under those definitions he is trans without any doubt. Even if his motives are predatory or in bad faith there is no mechanism in the definition to distinguish. He is trans to the fullest definitions of trans if he says he's trans.
I know what you are saying when you ask if he's genuinely trans, but under the new regime he is trans without any doubt if he says he is. There is no question of him not being trans. He is. Although his gender might be rapist according to the recent Scottish Principals.

Opening sentence of the Telegraph report:

"A transgender woman who raped her friend in an “especially shocking” attack will be jailed at a men’s prison."

Claimed to have suffered blackouts and that gender dysphoria wot made me do it.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/05/10/transwoman-convicted-rape-jailed-male-prison/

I think it does matter, yes. I'm certain if a study looked into this issue it would show that men are 'identifying as women' as a means of manipulating the system. We need evidence demonstrating how self ID makes a mockery of women's rights.

Do you think they genuinely are 'trans' in their minds or is that they jump on this idea as it means they get to serve their custodial sentences in female prisons. I've noticed people are convicted of heinous sex crimes and suddenly decide they identify as a woman.

Does it matter if they are or aren't? I'm not interested in their motivation. The end result is that there is a higher proportion of trans identifying men in prisons for sexual violence.

It's now well known, @MaterDei, that an increasing number of men discover their inner womanliness when they're about to see the inside of a court room.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ec01ddb4-ef41-11ed-b02d-cefaa3091195?shareToken=70cf8d16efd3b70871771e5a52f7dd1c

The same in the Times- quite carefully written to avoid pronouns unless in direct quotes.

Yes it’s excellent that the pronouns are in quotation marks. All news outlets should follow suit though i’m sure the likes of the BBC and Guardian will carry on putting rapists first.

Do you think they genuinely are 'trans' in their minds or is that they jump on this idea as it means they get to serve their custodial sentences in female prisons. I've noticed people are convicted of heinous sex crimes and suddenly decide they identify as a woman.

There really should be a study about the percentage/numbers of male sexual offenders who identify as trans. There seems to be loads of them.

Hopefully one of the media will finally challenge the IPSO trans guidelines that force the press to lie to the public. It will likely be one of the seemingly endless procession of sex offenders that will break the spell.

Yes, I couldn't help noticing that The Daily Mail used 'her penis' in scare quotes in their report and commented on how the perpetrator was referred to in court, which I don't recall them doing previously: https://archive.ph/8cAJm

well I guess he said 'I feel like a woman' and was just tragically misunderstood

(sorry I'm sometimes untoward about convicted rapists and those who've been convicted of sexually abusing children)

How exactly does one "identify as a woman" whilst using one's penis to rape someone?

Aggressive looking bloke, he ll be out in 6 years. Time for a castration.

I agree - also if you're 20 and have already served 2 years in jail for sexual activity with a child you really haven't been letting the grass grow under your feet.