A man has been charged in relation to alleged threatening and abusive behaviour following claims made by transgender double rapist, Isla Bryson, of suffering “abuse” while in prison. Bryson, previously known as Adam Graham, was sentenced to eight years in February for the rape of two women that occurred in 2016 and 2019. In a letter sent to the Sunday Mail, Bryson, who is currently incarcerated in Edinburgh, stated of experiencing mistreatment from both prison staff and fellow inmates due to being transgender.
According to a Police Scotland spokesman, a report of a hate crime at HMP Edinburgh was received on Thursday, June 8, 2023. Subsequently, a 24-year-old man has been charged in connection with threatening and abusive behaviour, and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
Bryson’s case caused controversy when it was initially revealed that the convicted rapist was placed in an all-female prison, prompting intervention from the Scottish Government. Then-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made it clear that Bryson would not be incarcerated at Cornton Vale women’s prison and was subsequently moved to a male prison. Sturgeon emphasised that the placement of transgender prisoners is subject to rigorous individual risk assessment, prioritising the safety of other inmates.
Following this case, the Scottish Prison Service initiated a review of the management of transgender prisoners as part of its gender identity and gender reassignment policy review. The Scottish Government confirmed that until the review and related work is completed, transgender individuals with a history of violence against women will not be transferred from male prisons to the female prison estate. Newly convicted or remanded transgender prisoners will initially be placed in prison based on their sex assigned at birth, according to the government’s statement in February.
