Glasgow rape support centre breaks ties with Rape Crisis Scotland amid gender row

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A rape support centre in Glasgow has broken its ties with Rape Crisis Scotland amid a row over gender.

Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis confirmed it has split from the supervision of the umbrella charity, saying it was prioritising an "all-female workforce". The centre also stated that it was "at odds" with Rape Crisis Scotland.

Rape Crisis Scotland chief executive Sandy Brindley apologised last month after the CEO of another member centre in Edinburgh, Mridul Wadhwa, a trans woman, was found to have behaved unprofessionally while she headed the organisation.

An independent consultant also found that Wadhwa "did not understand the limits of her authority". Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre was also found to have failed to provide women-only spaces for 16 months.

The CEO role at the ERCC has since been reserved for women only, which under recent guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, includes trans women who have a gender recognition certificate. Wadhwa took the role before the guidance was updated.

She resigned from the organisation in September. Ms Brindley went on to make clear that all member centres should provide single-sex spaces, but said there was no reason why transgender people could not work in rape support centres.

Speaking of Wadhwa's appointment, Brindley told the BBC: "I was not involved in that appointment or that decision. But what I would say is that most rape crisis centres in Scotland provide support to men, women, trans people and non-binary people.

"There is no inherent reason within that, that you could not have a trans person working within a rape crisis centre. I think what is crucial however, is that if you do have a rape crisis service, that is supporting all survivors is that there's dedicated women-only spaces within that."

After a safeguarding problem was discovered at the centre, referrals to the facility were suspended for 11 months. Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis said it ended its membership with RCS following a "long and careful review".

A spokesperson said: “After careful consideration, we have concluded that the interests of our organisation, and those that rely on our services, will be best served and represented outwith membership of RCS.

“We were created to provide support by and for women. We believe, and women have consistently told us, that single-sex services delivered by an all-female workforce are crucial to help them heal from sexual trauma. This approach remains our priority but is at odds with RCS’."

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Our sister paper the Sunday Mail reported that Brindley came under fire after she and Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman - who served as ERCC’S chief operating officer from January 2020 to January 2021 - supported Wadhwa’s recruitment and backed her after the centre lost an employment tribunal this year.

Wadhwa had claimed rape victims who wanted single-sex care were bigoted and “should reframe their trauma”.

A spokesperson for Rape Crisis Scotland said: “Our member centres deliver services in a variety of ways, tailored to the needs of the communities they serve. What is fundamental across all Rape Crisis Services is that survivors’ needs are at the centre of their provision.”

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