Cameron Downing, former SNP equalities officer sentenced for a catalogue of attacks, claimed to have accessed services at Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC)

[IwantToRetire]

A male sexual predator who harboured “hostility towards women” accessed services at a controversial “trans-inclusive” female rape crisis centre, it has emerged.

At the time, the centre offered services only for women, but under its inclusion policy also welcomed biological males who said they identified as female or non-binary.

Downing, who identifies as non-binary and was found by a jury to have falsely accused one of his victims of raping him, said in January 2022 that the ERCC was the reason he was “able to keep going” and that he “cannot put into words how much they’ve helped me.”

In a video he published online Downing said he wanted to raise funds for the centre for his 22nd birthday and later claimed to have met his £200 goal.

The centre has been run by Mridul Wadhwa, who identifies as female but is legally male, since 2021 and has faced severe scrutiny for its refusal to operate a single-sex service for biological females.

According to ERCC’s website, it now offers support to adult men but has only done so since 2023, after Downing claimed to have accessed its services.

It has ordered an independent review of its practices following the employment tribunal ruling.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/07/17/predator-cameron-downing-trans-inclusive-rape-crisis-centre/

I did post a link to a tweet about this on another thread, but this article has more detail and thought it deserved its own thread.

NB Have only picked out a few paragraphs for OP. The whole article can be read via https://archive.ph/LOXZ9

Well well, an actual case of "false rape accusation" and guess what - it's a male sexual predator doing it. DARVO all the way.

All these things that keep never-happening.

The SNP is absolutely chock full of these deviants. He was good mates with Karen Adams wasn’t he. Having read the judges remarks, they all must have known the kind of man he is and he was protected and feted by the party. They truly are scum balls who hate women

That they hate us is a badge of honour. Or an irrelevance.

What a nasty piece of work.

which jail will he complete his sentance in? Male?

Nice clear language from the Telegraph.

Allowing a rapist in to a Woman's refuge. Surely Mridul Wadhwa must resign now.

Sentencing remarks here https://judiciary.scot/home/sentences-judgments/sentences-and-opinions/2024/07/16/hma-v-cameron-downing

I read on Twitter that he was in group therapy at ERC. Make of that what you will.

Has anyone seen anything on the BBC about this case?

Bloody hell those sentencing remarks...

"You do not accept the verdicts"
"No remorse or insight"
"High risk of sexual reoffending"

I didn't realise there were so many victims and offences

Thanks for this new thread OP. It's been absolutely shocking. Has Karen Adams MSP said anything yet??? Tumbleweed I imagine ...

https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/248807

Bit of a quandary for the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art now. Do they keep this in their collection? Photo taken in 2017. Downing would then have been 17 or 18, depending on his date of birth, as he's 24 now.

Nothing from the BBC and nothing on BBC Scotland. I've half a mind to complain to them. This is a big story! Particularly as it was an SNP equalities officer who has been jailed. There are pictures of him with NS and others in SNP! Plus it's now come to light that he was accessing a rape crisis refuge centre (in a group setting!!!!) with vulnerable women and is a convicted rapist and sexual offender.

I've emailed the national galleries asking them to remove the website page of the portrait. I think the actual photograph is in archive now as it was displayed a couple of years ago. This must be so difficult for his victims and a photograph of him displayed on the website will be another kick in the teeth. As yet they've not responded to me or taken it down from the web. Maybe if enough people contact them they will.

Also to give credit to the Telegraph for pointing out the further double standards at Edinburgh RCC.

That he was able to use their service at a time they didn't advertise and supporting men, but only added this on their web site after the were taken to court by Roz Adams.

The fact that no authority, ie funder, charity commission, local authority, Rape Crisis Scotland, etc. has sought to have the organisation closed or new management brought it is completely unfathomable.

But I suppose they just thing, it only women, what does it matter.

They have now added a note to the webpage saying:

"We're aware of the sentencing of Cameron Downing on Tuesday 16 July 2024, and our deepest sympathy goes to the victims. Although part of the collection, Craig Waddell’s portrait of Cameron Downing is not on display at any of our galleries, and has not been since 2022. There are no plans for this work to go on display. We are following our due process, which includes looking at the records for this artwork and the updates required."

Thanks for the update @SinkingVoter that's something at least. Don't know why they can't just remove the page or have that explained without the photograph displayed. Surely displaying the photo could potentially cause victims distress?

Tomorrow's front page of the Sunday mail (the daily record) screenshot for those not on X

https://x.com/Sunday_Mail/status/1817305872403513700

Wow. I little thought on those endless Sundays back in the 1970s when I perused my Mum's copy of the Sunday Post - Francis Gay's platitudes, your health questions answered*, risible fashion coverage, endless New Ways with Mince with a glance at The Broons and Oor Wullie for old times' sake - that 40+ years in the future it would be holding the line on women's rights in Scotland.

*Mostly 'See your doc.' Wise words.

Noticed this on the Times site. Calls for an enquiry

www.thetimes.com/article/snp-facing-calls-for-inquiry-after-activist-jailed-for-assaults-pc0khsqhd

https://archive.ph/bpKOG just look for all the flags, the red ones

I'm sure there's a pithy Scottish phrase that'll sum up how hard the SNP are ignoring these calls.

I wonder who the SNPs spoke person was as they seem to be on 1st name terms with him🤔

New Ways With Mince should be a tee-shirt somewhere.

A former SNP Minister has demanded an investigation into an equalities officer who was openly threatening women at the same time he was carrying out sex attacks, assaults and domestic abuse.

Fergus Ewing, the ex-Scottish rural affairs secretary, has accused party leaders of ignoring red flags over activist Cameron Downing, now jailed for six years.

The Sunday Mail exposed Downing, who identifies as non-binary, in October 2022 after he threatened violence towards women in a series of tweets.

Complaints were raised online as far back as November 2021, before he was elected to his role within SNP London branch in August 2022.

SNP MSP and convenor of Holyrood's equalities committee Karen Adam was photographed with Downing at a London Pride event in June 2022 and again in July that year.

Former SNP MP Alyn Smith was at the July event and was pictured alongside Adam and Downing. Adam, who also retweeted a portrait of Downing as recently as March 2022 before later deleting her X account, denied any prior knowledge of Downing’s tweets.

Continues at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/ex-snp-minister-demands-probe-215444519.html

In more disturbing news the SNP new he was a sex offender when they defended him

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/victim-snp-sex-attacker-says-33390519?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar