Police Scotland drops policy letting rapists self-identify as women

Police Scotland has U-turned on a policy that allows alleged and convicted rapists to self-identify as women.

The force has come under fire for its policy of accepting criminals’ self-declaration of their gender, rather than legal or biological sex, amid concerns that this would skew statistics.

The U-turn came in response to a 2021 petition by policy analysts Murray Blackburn Mackenzie (MBM), which challenged the police and courts to accurately record the sex of rapists.

Long overdue

MBM said: “This is long overdue recognition that the position developed under the previous leadership was not sustainable.”

The organisation added it hopes that the recent statement “signals the start of robust and transparent engagement on this issue”.

Katharina Kasper, from the Scottish Police Authority said: “How you treat this topic is more than just statistics”, and challenged the force on how its policies impact women and girls who have suffered violence.

In 2023, there was outcry when convicted rapist Adam Graham was initially placed in a segregated unit in a women’s prison after he told the police he identified as a woman.

’Victory for common sense’

MSP Rachael Hamilton said: “Despite the Deputy Chief Constable’s protestations, this announcement does appear to represent a significant change in policy from Police Scotland.”

She continued: “We need to know that this belated victory for common sense will now be embedded in Police Scotland, the wider justice system, and indeed all public bodies.

“The safety and protection of women and the safeguarding of single-sex spaces must always come first.”

Police Scotland

Chief Constable Jo Farrell, who took up her post last year, said: “The organisation I lead is wholly committed to tackling violence against women and supporting survivors effectively.”

She  also remarked: “With regards to recording practice, Police Scotland’s procedures on the identification and recording of sex and gender is evidence-led and is in keeping with our values of policing with integrity, fairness and respect, and upholding human rights.”

Deputy Chief Constable, Alan Speirs, assured that “a man who commits a rape or serious sexual assaults will be recorded as a male”.