Reports Roz Adams successful in her action against Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre

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https://x.com/journalismseen/status/1792305714595012730?s=46&t=f8U9xaap9RM6pcBCdpsFIA

Excellent news and looking forward to seeing the judgement.

Bit boring and old fashioned but as a press release it is on their web site - as a press release!

Our statement on Adams vs Edinburgh Rape Crisis CentrePosted on May 20 2024 at 13:24

As a national organisation working to end sexual violence, the needs of survivors are our priority.

Rape Crisis Scotland works with a network of 17 member Rape Crisis Centres across Scotland. Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre is an autonomous member centre and as such, Rape Crisis Scotland was not involved in any of the circumstances that led to the tribunal.

All member Rape Crisis Centres are signed up to working within UK-wide National Service Standards. These standards detail the high quality of service every survivor can expect to receive from a Rape Crisis Centre. Membership of Rape Crisis Scotland is based upon a shared commitment to, and evidencing of, the UK-wide Rape Crisis National Service Standards.

We have been concerned by some of the evidence arising from the tribunal suggesting that some practices at ERCC may have fallen short of these standards. An independent review into the practices and procedures at Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre has been commissioned.

We want to reassure survivors that their needs will be listened to and respected when they come to a Rape Crisis Centre for support, or for advocacy services. We recognise that the tribunal judgment will raise questions for some survivors about what they can expect when they come to a Rape Crisis Centre. We believe it is important that survivors are able to make informed choices about the services they access at Rape Crisis Centres, and we recognise that for some this includes choices about the gender and/or sex of their worker. We will be working with rape crisis centres across Scotland to consider the judgment and anything further we need to do to ensure survivors are able to access the services they need after being raped or sexually abused.

We are committed to ensuring that every survivor of sexual violence can receive support in a way which meets their specific needs, including the provision of dedicated times and spaces for women and girls to access Rape Crisis services across Scotland, and to providing support to anyone affected by sexual violence, including survivors who are trans or non-binary.

https://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/news/news/our-statement-on-adams-vs-edinburgh-rape-crisis-centre/

So I'm very curious on what grounds Sussex plan to defend themselves now!

This is totally different. The fact is they are an independent organisation that Brighton council chose to fund to provide support services.

As far as I know, there was no obligation as part of the funding from Brighton Council (and a number of private trusts) that it was given on the basis of single sex services being provided.

So that cae against them will be more about how they responded to requests for single sex services.

Whether there needs to be a law or Government guidance that all councils should provide single sex services for survivors of sexual abuse and rape is something totally different. And I suspect not likely to happen.

Girlguiding HQ resolutely ignores us volunteers about any tiny hint of discontent. They sit up in London having no clue about how actual Guiding works at unit level

I'm so sorry, @TWETMIRF

I don't doubt you're right - I'm sure it's very rare amongst MCWs. The whole "living as a woman" thing must be like an addiction - even if you're not AGP, you'll be constantly tempted to push it, to get more validation. I think the belief I describe is more likely to be held by a trans ally - someone who isn't trans.

I can see why a TW might be very invested in this worldview, but I don't really understand how it has successfully spread to their allies and to the rest of civil society.
That's the potential subject of a 12-part TV documentary/years'-log enquiry!

Statement from Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre Board of Directors
May 20, 2024

We are saddened by the outcome of the Tribunal. We will now take time to reflect on the written judgement.

We strive to provide a safe accessible and inclusive service and are committed to improving continuously.

We are fully supportive of Rape Crisis Scotland’s commissioning of an independent review of ERCC practice. This will help ensure our practices and procedures meet the highest standards as set out in the Rape Crisis National Service Standards, and that survivors receive the exceptional quality of support they deserve.

We want to reassure all survivors who are currently accessing our services and anyone seeking support that we are still here for you, and you matter to us. Our services remain unaffected by these events.

Please see our FAQs page on our website for further information about the services we offer.

Board of Directors, Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre

https://www.ercc.scot/statement-from-edinburgh-rape-crisis-centre-board-of-directors/

(Its always worth checking web sites of groups because "formal" statement will be posted there. Anything on social media could and sometimes is later portrayed as an overkeen, inexperienced intern (ie a way to cop out).

Thanks for posting the statements from RCS and ERCC Retire.

They’re both very bland aren’t they? No hint of an apology for how Roz was treated - that seems to be a feature of the statements made by orgs losing Employment Tribunals on the basis of genderism-related discrimination. These statements all come across like they’ve been written by grumpy kids being made to say sorry and shake hands but feeling smug about having their fingers crossed behind their back 😂

I think they will go down the line that it all went wrong because MW was / is such a dedicated but maybe single vision person.

So obviously everyone will be really sorry and do better in the future and MW will be encouraged to resign.

MW will then go for constructive dismissal claiming everyone had validated their position on TW etc., and will end up with a huge payout for damage to reputation and personal harm.

Fair point. But even without an obligation to provide a single-sex service it's still indirect discrimination if women can't use a service because it's mixed-sex (and is even a specific example in the Equality Act of a service that's expected to be provided single sex); and Sussex handled Sarah's situation so poorly that they're up for harassment and intimidation as well.

So I can't see it going well for them now, can you?

Nah, MW will stay put for a short while then move to be CEO of Girl Guides.

Just saw the headlines, on BBC, am actually crying. I watched this tribunal online, and I'm just so relieved the tribunal judges saw sense! It was one of the most crazy making things I've ever seen ( apart from the Allison Bailey case ). Off to read the whole thread now, but just wanted to say, yay wims, yay JKR, and yay for sanity!!!

😂You win. You and Jean Hatchet.

So I can't see it going well for them now, can you?

I think they might well get away with it, and they will say that they were quite clear in their funding application and none of the funders stipulated they had to provide women only services.

But would hope that the outcome would say quite strongly that local authorities should fund services that meet different needs, not decide that one sort of support is okay.

Dont forget that in the wider world of local authorities, many are arguing the women fleeing domestic violence do not need acess to women's refuges. They think providing a place in a homeless hostel is sufficient.

It would be interesting to publish the list of funder so Survivors Network Brighton and ask them if they support women needing single sex services and if so why they are funding a project that doesn't?

The phrasing and style remind me of MW's communication style. It seems to follow the usual pattern of the initial "not really sorry you terfs" official statement that follows organisations losing tribunals against gender critical employees.

I followed the tribunal at the time and like most people on here I cringed at the usual shitshow of inarticulate witnesses tying themselves in knots in order to try to make gender ideology make any sense

I am halfway through reading the judgement. I am in awe of Roz who in every exchange, on every e-mail, meeting and recorded conversation is coming across as a person of the highest calibre - well-qualified, experienced, principled, polite, articulate, brave and utterly professional. Exactly the sort of person we want in area as delicate as rape counselling.

If you are here Roz thank you

I cant find the thread but does anyone remember the meeting attended by Nicola Sturgeon supposedly for women service providers to talk about women's needs.

One brave woman stood up and challenged Nicola Sturgeon for not supporting single sex services (dont forget the SNP used threats of witholding funding to impose this on groups).

And all the women in the audience just sat there looking smug and I think clapped when she was made to leave the meeting.

Everyone of those women and Nicola Sturgeon herself and now condemned as guilty.

If anyone can find the video please share.

Then we can all share it with the words Guilty of bullying and extrremism.

https://news.sky.com/video/shame-on-you-nicola-sturgeon-heckled-over-scottish-government-gender-reforms-12758817

Thanks - I have forgotten all about "Zero Tolerance" I was searching for Equality Network.

I wonder if any of them including NS feel any sense of shame.

However awful MW is, they were enabled by a very large number of politicians and women working in women's groups.

I wonder if any of them including NS feel any sense of shame.

I don't think NS is capable of feeling any shame for anything. From throwing women under the bus, stealing a camper bus, to running the SNP bus over a cliff, and most recently hopping aboard the politics is too divisive bus.
That woman has not one shread of decency, self awareness, nor the ability to feel shame.

and her protigee couldn't even handle a miniature bus without fucking it up.

I just heard the BBC R4 headline on you could knock me over with a feather. They made Roz sound perfectly reasonable and mentioned twice that MW was a TW then quoted Roz as saying she it was a matter of respecting women who had been sexually assaulted. I’m thinking how, just how could anyone object to that?

And bloody hell, ERCC being saddened. The ultimate rebuttal to being told they conducted a witch hunt.

Important though Adams’ victory is for her personally, and by extension, for those of us who understand that the support needs of women who have been subjected to men’s violence are best met by women and in women-only environments; Adams’ tribunal success is most important for women victim-survivors of sexual and domestic violence and abuse.

It is to the detriment of the specialist sector supporting women victims of sexual and domestic violence and abuse, and sexual exploitation, that the feminist activist roots and the political nature of the work is being detangled in too many cases from service provision. For me the sector has to frame our work within efforts to end men’s violence against women as a cause and consequence of sex inequality. If we can’t say what a woman is, we can’t end sex inequality.

https://kareningalasmith.com/2024/05/20/as-chief-executive-of-a-charity-part-of-your-job-is-to-set-the-tone/

Fantastic news!

Re. the BBC - my Women's Rights Network secret-underground-communications-group (we use semaphore, mostly) has asked us all to click on the BBC report, to make sure it gets lots of clicks.

They hope this will show the BBC what wide interest there is in this particular news item.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1ee39wn30xo

The lack of an apology is shockingly bad. They're been found to have conducted a "heresy hunt" and constructive dismissal. They acted unlawfully – ignoring the law that's actually there to protect equality and inclusion.

I think they should be required to apologise to her properly as well as pay compensation.

I posted a graphic image of a statement from Roz Adams late last night saying I would try and find a more accessible version, ie in actual text not captured as an image.

I dont think this is all of it but is included in an article from Scottish Legal News:

Ms Adams said: “With relief, I welcome the ruling of the Employment Tribunal. They unanimously found that Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) unlawfully discriminated against me on the grounds of my sex-realist belief and constructively unfairly dismissed me. This is a victory for all people who have been subjected to sexual violence who need a choice of worker, and group support on the basis of sex in order to feel safe.”

She added: “It is tragic to me that this ended in Tribunal. For three years I consistently offered to enable discussion and I firmly believe that we will only find solutions that work for everyone through fearless, respectful, well-informed dialogue. I hope this ruling supports that to happen wherever it is needed.”

https://www.scottishlegal.com/articles/dismissed-rape-centre-worker-wins-tribunal-case-over-sex-realist-beliefs