An Edinburgh woman has received a compensation package of £35,000 after she was thrown out of a rape crisis centre, run by a trans woman.
Roz Adams, who worked at the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, will receive the pay-out for injury to feelings in a “stark recognition of the gravity of harassment” which she faced on account of her gender ideological beliefs.
In May, an employment tribunal found that the centre’s chief executive, Mridul Wadhwa – a biological male who identifies as a woman – led a “heresy hunt” against the support worker, accusing her of transphobia.
Consequently, Adams faced a nine-month disciplinary process after she asked how to respond to victims who asked the sex of another support worker who said that they were non-binary.
Mridul Wadhwa resigned as the centre’s chief executive in September when a report found that the ERCC did not protect single sex spaces
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Following the announcement of the compensation, Adams has accused Scottish support services run by Rape Crisis Scotland of failing women and has called on the courts to make recommendations to improve the system, such as creating a definition of a woman.
Wadhwa resigned as the centre’s chief executive in September when a report found that the ERCC did not protect single sex spaces.
Currently, the ERCC and other support services across Scotland have “operated self-ID policies”, which permits access for a biological male who identifies as a female into women-only spaces.
Roz Adams said: “I don’t know how any organisation can claim to have women only spaces or services while not defining what a woman is or what female means.
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“Rape Crisis Scotland were fully aware they [ERCC] weren’t following women only spaces.”
Additionally, staff at the ERCC had been told to assure abuse victims that no men worked at the rape centre, while the trans chief presided over the organisation.
Adams has requested a public apology from the centre’s authorities and said that there was a lack of “responsibility and accountability” from the ERCC.
The rape crisis centre has continued to be “celebratory” of its self-ID system.
“Survivors’ needs should be listened to and respected when they come to a rape crisis centre,” a spokesman from the RCS said (Stock image)
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A spokesman for Rape Crisis Scotland said: “Rape crisis centres are dedicated to providing high quality trauma-informed support and advocacy services that meet the needs of survivors of sexual violence.
“Survivors’ needs should be listened to and respected when they come to a rape crisis centre.
“It is important that survivors can make informed choices about the services they access at rape crisis centres. At present, how women only spaces are defined is decided by individual rape crisis centres.
“We are committed to ensuring that every survivor of sexual violence can receive support in a way which meets their specific needs.”