JK Rowling offers to pay alleged victim’s legal fees after trans inmate charged with assault in women’s prison

Lydia Davies
Sat, 25 Apr 2026 17:49:54 +0000

JK Rowling has launched a fierce attack on the SNP Government and offered to fund legal action after a transgender prisoner was charged with sexually assaulting a woman in a female jail.

The Harry Potter author said she would cover the legal costs of the alleged victim if she chooses to pursue a lawsuit, following the incident involving Alexandra Stewart at HMP Greenock.

Police Scotland confirmed that Ms Stewart, 38, has been arrested and charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault inside the prison, with a report to be sent to the procurator fiscal.

Ms Rowling reacted within hours on social media, writing: “The Scottish Government is responsible for this sexual assault.”

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She did not provide any evidence to support the claim and there is no suggestion she has personal knowledge of the incident.

The accused denies wrongdoing and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

She added: “The Supreme Court has confirmed women’s right to single-sex spaces, a ruling the SNP continues to flout."

The biological woman's rights activist then posted the link to The JK Rowling Women's Fund, a 'legal fighting fund for women protecting their sex-based rights', which she said can "assist with all costs".

Ms Stewart, previously known as Alan Baker, is serving a life sentence for the 2013 murder of Mr John Weir, who was stabbed 16 times at his home in West Dunbartonshire.

The inmate has been housed in the female estate since 2016 under Scottish Prison Service guidelines, which allow transgender prisoners to be placed in women’s jails following individual risk assessments.

The alleged assault is understood to have taken place within the prison’s hairdressing salon, where Ms Stewart had been working.

The case has reignited a bitter political and legal row over the housing of transgender prisoners in Scotland.

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The Scottish government is responsible for this sexual assault. The Supreme Court has confirmed women’s right to single sex spaces, a ruling the SNP continues to flout. If the victim wishes to sue, https://t.co/iyohnrgVZN can assist with all costs. https://t.co/rnyKbWXhj5
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 24, 2026

Campaign group For Women Scotland is currently challenging the Scottish government’s policy in the Court of Session, arguing that biological males should not be placed in female prisons following a Supreme Court ruling on the definition of “woman” in equality law.

That ruling found that the term “woman” in the Equality Act refers to biological sex.

Despite this, SNP ministers have maintained that a blanket ban on transgender women in female prisons could breach human rights protections.

First Minister John Swinney has repeatedly declined to comment directly on Ms Stewart’s case but has defended the need to consider the rights and safety of “all prisoners”.

“It is essential that, in all circumstances, there is an analysis done to protect the safety and interests of all prisoners,” he said during a campaign appearance.

The Scottish Prison Service said it would be inappropriate to comment on ongoing proceedings.

Ms Rowling’s intervention is the latest in her increasingly high-profile activism on issues surrounding sex-based rights.

In 2025, she launched a legal fund aimed at supporting women seeking to defend single-sex spaces, and has previously donated to For Women Scotland during its legal challenge.

Her comments, however, continue to spark fierce debate, with critics accusing her of promoting harmful views, while supporters argue she is raising legitimate concerns about women’s safety.

According to the latest figures, there were 19 transgender inmates across Scotland’s prison system as of mid-2025, representing less than one per cent of the total prison population.

The outcome of the Court of Session challenge is expected in the coming months.

GB News has reached out to the SNP for comment.