Nicola Sturgeon refused to say whether transgender rapist Isla Bryson was a man or a woman again today after being challenged by Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross.
The leader of the Scottish Conservative party repeatedly quizzed Sturgeon on her belief in self-ID – the process in which a trans person does not require a medical diagnosis to identify as a gender different to that of their birth sex.
Isla Bryson, who raped two women when she was a man named Adam Graham before transitioning, was initially imprisoned in segregation at Cornton Vale women’s jail near Stirling upon her conviction.
Douglas Ross questioned the First Minister on trans rights
Scottish Parliament TV
She moved to the male estate after a public outcry.
During FMQs this afternoon, Ross said: "At the last count, the First Minister had refused 12 times to say is Isla Bryson is a man or a woman.
"And it's important because that affects how public bodies treat these criminals when they are released from jail.
"The First Minister says she doesn't have enough information to decide whether this double rapist is a man.
"He is a rapist, he has a penis. What further information can the First Minister possibly need?"
He asked the First Minister to explain whether her Government would consider a man or a woman once "this monster comes out of jail".
A review into the handling of the case was ordered by Scottish Justice Secretary Keith Brown in the wake of public outcry.
The Scottish Tory leader also urged the Sturgeon to commit to publishing the full report, as opposed to just the “findings”.
Isla Bryson was found guilty of raping two women when she was a man
Andrew Milligan
It comes after the Scottish Government’s gender recognition reform proposals were passed by a majority of MSPs in December but blocked by the UK Government.
Sturgeon responded saying: "The individual we're talking about here identifies as a woman.
"However it is really important, I think very calmly to set out that any rights associated with that are not the result of any legislation passed by this Parliament and indeed wouldn't be the result of this legislation."
