Charity Commission is investigating controversial trans group Mermaids

The Charity Commission has launched an investigation into the workings of controversial trans-activist group Mermaids.

It follows revelations from The Daily Telegraph that the group had been sending chest binders to girls as young as 13 without their parents’ knowledge.

In recent years, Mermaids has received taxpayer money and more than £500,000 from the National Lottery, as well as income from ‘gender identity’ training sessions given to various government bodies.

‘Dangerous material’

A spokesperson for the Charity Commission told the BBC: “Concerns have been raised with us about Mermaids’ approach to safeguarding young people.

“We have opened a regulatory compliance case, and have written to the trustees. We now await their reply.”

The Daily Telegraph reported that discussions in the charity’s moderated online forum gave advice to 12 to 15-year-olds on how they could raise money to buy puberty-blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones.

Mermaids has also been claiming that controversial hormone-blocking drugs are safe and “totally reversible”, despite current NHS guidelines that say “little is known about the long-term side effects”.

‘Questionable’

In a separate investigation, the Daily Mail uncovered what it called a “consistent stream of questionable — if not dangerous — material being circulated by the charity and those working for it”.

It also reported that Mermaids has been offering free binders to adolescents since at least 2019.

Dr Hilary Cass’s independent review of NHS gender practices for children described the restrictive garments as “painful and potentially harmful”.

Safeguarding failure

Stephanie Davies-Arai, the Director of the campaign group Transgender Trend, said: “Mermaids should not be sending breast-binders out behind parents’ backs.”

She added: “Parents are the primary caregivers and they have ultimate responsibility for their health and welfare. To exclude parents from really serious decisions like this is anti-safeguarding.

“An investigation into Mermaids is long overdue. People have been raising concerns for quite a few years now. The Charity Commission and anybody who is recommending Mermaids or using them for training needs to really seriously think about child safeguarding.”

‘Red flags’

Miriam Cates MP said that the charity “is stating an extreme position on gender ideology and it is going behind parents’ backs to speak to children. This raises huge safeguarding red flags”.

SNP MP Joanna Cherry KC said she thinks it is “high time” that Mermaids’ “activities were put under the spotlight”.

“These revelations raise major safeguarding issues particularly in the light of the findings of the recent Cass interim report.” She called on the Charity Commission to carry out a “thorough investigation”.

Cherry added: “Those who have a training relationship with the charity would also be well advised to consider the extent to which following their advice might expose them to legal risk”.