Rape crisis CEO resigns after ‘overstepping authority’ in trans row

Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre’s (ERCC) Chief Executive has stepped down after an independent review found that the centre failed to protect female-only spaces.

Mridul Wadhwa, a man who identifies as a woman, was placed on leave in May when an Employment Tribunal vindicated former support worker Roz Adams. The employee was subjected to a misconduct investigation after asking if a ‘non-binary’ staff member was a “man or a woman”.

But Wadhwa has now officially resigned, after a review commissioned in response to the Employment Tribunal determined that he “did not understand the limits” of his authority, and that the centre failed to protect female-only spaces and respect those with gender-critical beliefs.

‘Damaging’

Chartered Quality Professional Vicky Ling, who conducted the review, found that between October 2022 and February 2024 ERCC failed to meet the required standard of protecting women-only spaces by providing them only on request.

She stated: “Putting women in the position of having to discuss whether the service they receive will be provided by someone who was born and continues to identify as female has caused damage and does not amount to the provision of protected ‘women only’ spaces.”

Ling found that ERCC’s failure to respect an individual’s right to hold gender-critical views “has had negative impacts”, and she criticised Wadhwa for not seeking approval from the Trustee Board before implementing a gender self-ID policy.

In conclusion, she recommended that the centre rectifies these issues and clearly publicises its women-only spaces and the “definition of woman/female”.

‘Heartbreaking’

Journalist Susan Dalgety, who was sexually abused as a child, said: “My heart breaks for those women who were denied safe, female-only spaces by Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, at the one time in their lives when what they needed most was the support and empathy that only another woman can offer.

“Instead, they were forced to accept the possibility that their counsellor may be male”.

In a statement, ERCC said that is “currently implementing the recommendations in the report” and will recruit a new Chief Executive in due course.

‘Bigots’

In 2021, Wadhwa was criticised for implying that victims who want single-sex spaces are “bigots” who should expect ‘to be challenged on their prejudices’.

While discussing transgender issues on The Guilty Feminist podcast, he said that those holding “unacceptable beliefs” who sought help after being sexually assaulted would be encouraged to “reframe their trauma”.