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Isla Bryson case

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In 2023, Isla Annie Bryson from Clydebank, Scotland was convicted of raping two women in 2016 and 2019. Bryson was charged and first appeared in court in 2019 under the name Adam Graham. In 2020, she transitioned and took the name Isla Bryson.

As a trans woman, Bryson was remanded to a women's prison while awaiting trial, where she was segregated from other prisoners pending risk assessment. Following public backlash, she was transferred to a male prison. The case was used to criticize the Scottish Parliament's passage of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill despite it having been blocked by the UK Government (using section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998).

During the controversy, the Scottish Prison Service announced an "urgent review" into the location of transgender inmates, and announced that trans people would be initially imprisoned according to their sex rather than gender identity until assessment could determine which was ultimately more appropriate for the individual.

Background

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Bryson was born in 1991, at which time she was assigned male at birth and named Adam Binnie Bryson.[1][2] In July 2016, she married a woman with the surname Graham.[3][4] Bryson committed rape against two women: one in September 2016 and one in June 2019.[3][5] The victims testified that they had met Bryson on dating website, Badoo, where she went by Adam Graham,[5] and Bigo where she went by DJ Blade.[6]

She appeared in court in July 2019 as Adam Graham, and was charged that year.[5][7] In 2020, Bryson came out as a trans woman, and assumed the name Isla Annie Bryson in court that year.[8][9] In May 2021, her birth certificate was amended to name her Annie Bryson, but her legal gender remained male.[10] In the 2023 trial, Bryson testified that she knew she was trans since the age of four,[9] however her mother said she never expressed this growing up,[4] and her estranged wife said she made no indication of this during their relationship.[3] She further accused Bryson of stabbing her and trying to rape her, and said she had been trying to end their marriage for seven years, but was unable to locate her.[11]

As of February 2023, Bryson is undergoing feminizing hormone therapy.[4]

Enrolment at Ayrshire College

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In 2021, while awaiting trial, Bryson studied cosmetology at Ayrshire College's Kilwinning campus for three months, where she went by her middle name, Annie.[12][13] Most of her coursemates were younger women. Upon learning of her later rape conviction, three of her coursemates reported feeling shocked and violated, especially as she had practised applying spray tan on them as part of a one-day course, during which they had worn little clothing.[14][15][16] The College said that it had no knowledge of the charges against her at the time.[14]

Susan Smith of the anti-trans campaign group For Women Scotland expressed concern that classmates were unaware of the charges against Bryson because she went by a different name than the one was originally charged under.[14] Lawyer Thomas Ross said that, as the law stands, someone accused of a crime is not obliged to disclose that information. He called the situation a catch-22 for an institution which would have to choose between putting other students at risk by allowing that person to attend, or excluding someone who is presumed to be innocent.[16]

Trial

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Bryson's trial was held in January 2023 at the High Court of Justiciary in Glasgow, and lasted six days.[17] The case was prosecuted by Advocate depute John Keenan, defended by Edward Targowski, and judged by Lord Scott. The prosecution described how she had "preyed on two vulnerable female partners" after meeting them online. Bryson denied raping the two women, arguing the sex had been consensual, and claimed to be "in no way a predatory male". The defence argued that she was also vulnerable due being transgender.[18][19]

She was convicted of the rapes on 24 January 2023, making her the first known trans woman to be convicted of rape in Scotland. Lord Scott warned her that a "significant custodial sentence" was inevitable.[20] Following her conviction, Police Scotland declared that Bryson had been arrested and charged as a man, and that her crimes would therefore be recorded as having been committed by a man.[21]

On 28 February 2023, Bryson was sentenced to eight years in prison, with a further three years of supervision upon release. She was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life. The court heard reports of Bryson having neurodevelopmental problems. In his summary, Lord Scott said Bryson continued to deny the crimes and had claimed, without evidence, that the victims had colluded:

You see yourself as the victim in this case. But you are not [...] Your vulnerability is no excuse at all for what you did to these two women in 2016 and 2019. Regardless of your own vulnerability, in a period of just under three years, you raped two women who can both be regarded as vulnerable."[22][23][24]

Remand to women's prison

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From 2014, the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) held a policy that—while allowing for case-by-case consideration and ongoing risk assessments—advised that transgender people should generally be allocated to prisons matching their genders.[25] While the warrant issued by the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS) called for Bryson to be taken to HM Prison Barlinnie, a men's prison in Glasgow, the SPS was not bound by it and detained her at HM Prison Cornton Vale in Stirling, Scotland's sole women-only prison, where she was segregated from other prisoners.[26][27]

In October 2022, a Freedom of Information request obtained by The Times found that there were 19 transgender prisoners in Scotland, 12 of whom began transitioning while in prison.[28]

Reactions

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Bryson's imprisonment at Cornton Vale sparked debate and concerns about the safety of the other prisoners.[29]

Sandy Brindley, the chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland, said "It cannot be right for a rapist to be in a women's prison",[30] while concerns were also expressed by 10 Downing Street, where a spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak compared the case with the situation in England and Wales, where "transgender women must go through a robust risk assessment that factors in their offending history and anatomy before they can be moved to a women's prison".[31]

Dominic Raab, the Secretary of State for Justice, said a similar incident would not happen in England and Wales, where a recent change in the law would shortly be implemented to prevent transgender women convicted of sex offences against women, or those who retained their original genitalia, from being detained in a women's prison, apart from in exceptional circumstances authorised by the minister.[32] Yvette Cooper, the Shadow Home Secretary, said "this dangerous rapist should not be in a women's prison".[31] Keith Brown, Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for Justice, told MSPs he trusted the Scottish Prison Service to decide where Bryson should be held: "The facts of the matter are that the Scottish Prison Service has a long track record – I'm talking 20 years and more – of assessing risks within our prisons, including those presented by the presence of trans prisoners – both for the trans prisoners themselves and other prisoners."[29][33]

Gender Recognition Reform Bill

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Bryson's conviction came several weeks after the Scottish Parliament passed the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, designed to allow trans people in Scotland to more easily change their legal sex.[34][35] The bill's opponents pointed to the Bryson case, and questioned whether it contained a sufficient level of safeguarding for women in prison.[29] The UK government subsequently blocked the bill under the Scotland Act 1998, citing the alleged potential for predatory men to use the legislation to access women-only spaces for malicious purposes. Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, denied such a risk, and accused the UK government of attacking Scottish democracy and trying to fuel a culture war.[35]

The bill would have precluded anyone with a sexual harm prevention order or sexual offences prevention order from obtaining a Gender Recognition Certificate.[33] Policy analyst Lucy Hunter Blackburn addressed the Equalities Committee and warned the bill could lead to legal challenges and suggested it should be amended to exempt prisons from recognising the trans status of prisoners.[36][37]

Move to a men's prison

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See also: LGBT people in prison

On 26 January 2023, Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, commented on the case at First Minister's Questions after Conservative leader Douglas Ross raised the issue.[29] Sturgeon confirmed that Bryson would not serve her sentence at Cornton Vale, saying "There is no automatic right for a trans woman convicted of a crime to serve their sentence in a female prison even if they have a gender recognition certificate. Every case is subject to rigorous individual risk assessment and the safety of other prisoners is paramount." She also confirmed the Gender Recognition Reform Bill had no bearing on Bryson's case. Under Sturgeon's orders, Bryson was moved to a men's wing of HM Prison Edinburgh later the same day.[38][39][29] At the 2 February session of First Minister's Questions, Sturgeon agreed with Ross was "almost certainly" lying about being transgender, as an "easy way out".[40][41]

Rhona Hotchkiss, a former governor of Cornton Vale prison, described the decision to send a convicted rapist to a women's prison as an "unnecessary shambles".[42]

Aftermath

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Following the decision to move Bryson to a men's prison, speculation arose concerning a potential blanket rule on accommodating transgender prisoners, after Sturgeon agreed with comments made by Brindley during an appearance on the 27 January edition of The News Agents podcast. Vic Valentine of the campaign group Scottish Trans expressed fears that such a rule would place trans women at significant risk if they were sent to a men's prison, but agreed that sex offenders who pose significant risk to women should not be housed with other female prisoners.[43]

On 29 January 2023, following public backlash over the Bryson case as well as that of Tiffany Scott, a trans woman convicted of stalking a 13-year-old girl, who had successfully applied to be transferred to a women's facility, the Scottish Prison Service announced it would pause movement of all transgender prisoners, while it carried out an "urgent review" into all transgender prisoners.[44] On 9 February it announced that trans prisoners in Scotland would initially be housed according to their assigned sex at birth, after their case would be assessed to determine whether it would be suitable to accommodate them in a men's or women's facility. On the Bryson case, the report said the Scottish Prison Service's procedures had been followed, but that the SPS had received "conflicting and limited information" about Bryson beyond her immediate convictions, and recommended a "shared justice process" for the future admission of transgender people to prison.[45] The report also confirmed that Bryson did not have any contact with the other prisoners during her time at Cornton Vale, and therefore did not pose a risk to them.[46]

On 27 February 2023, regulations in England and Wales came into force banning transgender women "with their male genitalia intact", or those who are sex offenders, from being sent to women's prisons.[47]

On 3 July 2023, Sky News reported that Bryson had written to the Sunday Mail to say that prison was "full of transphobic people" after a man was charged with threatening behaviour against her. Police Scotland confirmed that they had attended the prison on 8 June, and that a 24-year-old man had been charged over the incident.[48] In another letter to the Sunday Mail in April 2024, she claimed to have received an apology from the Scottish Prison Service after a female prison officer misgendered her.[49]

On 5 December 2023, the Scottish Prison Service issued new guidelines on transgender prisoners, stating that trans women who have hurt women or girls would not be sent to a female prison unless there were "exceptional" circumstances.[50]

In September 2024, Jo Farrell, the Chief Constable of Police Scotland, said the force would not record a male rapist as female, telling Sky News "You can only commit that crime as a man". However, it was later reported that Police Scotland had considered recording Bryson as female.[51] The matter was subsequently raised at Holyrood, where the Scottish Conservatives suggested Police Scotland had "serious questions to answer" over the proposal.[52]

See also

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  • Karen White case – English trans woman who was transferred to a women's prison and sexually assaulted female inmates
  • Tiffany Scott (prisoner) – Scottish trans woman convicted of child sexual abuse, later transferred to women's prison
  • Amber McLaughlin – American trans woman convicted of rape and murder, first transgender person to be executed in the USA

References

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  1. ^ Swinford, Steven; Gair, Kieran; McLaughlin, Mark (26 January 2023). "Trans rapist Isla Bryson won't stay in women's prison, Nicola Sturgeon says". The Times. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  2. ^ McLaughlin, Mark (6 February 2023). "Nicola Sturgeon refers to rapist Isla Bryson as 'she'". The Times. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Isla Bryson: Transgender rapist jailed for eight years". BBC News. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Watson, Jeremy (12 February 2023). "Isla Bryson's mother says rapist should never have been held in women's prison". The Times. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Rapist guilty of attacking women before gender change". BBC News. 24 January 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Glasgow court convicts trans woman of raping two women before her transition". The Guardian. PA Media. 24 January 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  7. ^ Gair, Kieran (28 February 2023). "Transgender rapist Isla Bryson sentenced to eight years in prison". The Times. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  8. ^ Johnson, Simon (10 February 2023). "Trans rapist Isla Bryson has cost taxpayers almost £30,000 in legal aid". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  9. ^ a b Sinmaz, Emine (28 February 2023). "Trans woman Isla Bryson jailed for eight years for raping two women". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  10. ^ McLaughlin, Mark (7 February 2023). "Sturgeon overrules allies who wanted gender rebels out". The Times. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Estranged wife accuses rapist of transgender 'sham'". Belfast Telegraph. PA Media. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  12. ^ Johnson, Simon (27 January 2023). "Classmates stripped off in front of transgender rapist they didn't know was awaiting trial". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  13. ^ Herald, Irvine (27 January 2023). "Ayrshire College students asked to strip in front of transgender rapist". Daily Record. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  14. ^ a b c Chree, Gordon (26 January 2023). "Trans rapist 'enrolled in beauty college course after sex attacks'". STV News. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Trans rapist revelations made student on same course 'physically sick'". STV News. 27 January 2023. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  16. ^ a b "Isla Bryson: Former classmate of trans rapist feels 'violated'". BBC News. 27 January 2023. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  17. ^ Brooks, Libby (25 January 2023). "Trans woman guilty of raping two women remanded in female prison in Scotland". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  18. ^ Gordon, Conor. "Alleged rapist now in transition to be woman, court told". The Times. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  19. ^ "Transgender rape accused is 'vulnerable' and not 'predatory male', court told". Shropshire Star. 23 January 2023. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  20. ^ "Isla Bryson: What is the transgender prisoners row all about?". BBC News. 25 January 2023. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  21. ^ Grant, Alistair (28 January 2023). "Police Scotland must record all rapists as men, say Tories". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  22. ^ "Isla Bryson: Transgender rapist jailed for eight years". BBC News. 28 February 2023. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  23. ^ Mitchell, Jenness (28 February 2023). "Transgender rapist Isla Bryson jailed for eight years for attacks on two women when she was a man". Sky News. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  24. ^ https://www.judiciary.scot/home/sentences-judgments/sentences-and-opinions/2023/02/28/hma-v-isla-bryson Archived 28 February 2023 at the Wayback Machine Sentencing statement by judge
  25. ^ Brooks, Libby (26 January 2023). "Why Scotland's gender reform bill is sparking concern over trans prisoner policies". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  26. ^ Brooks, Libby (9 February 2023). "Trans prisoners in Scotland to be first sent to jails matching their birth gender". The Guardian.
  27. ^ "Trans rapist will not be jailed in Scotland's women's prison, Sturgeon confirms". The National. 26 January 2023. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  28. ^ Wright, Mary (27 March 2023). "Six in ten trans prisoners in Scotland switched gender in jail". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  29. ^ a b c d e Brooks, Libby; Carrell, Severin (26 January 2023). "Trans woman found guilty of rape moved to men's prison". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  30. ^ "Transgender rapist Isla Bryson moved to men's prison". BBC News. 26 January 2023. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  31. ^ a b "Transgender woman convicted of rape will not be held in all-female prison, Sturgeon says". Sky News. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  32. ^ Bolton, Will (26 January 2023). "Trans woman guilty of two rapes is trying to scam courts, says wife". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  33. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference auto32 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  34. ^ "Transgender rapist Isla Bryson moved to men's prison". BBC News. 26 January 2023. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  35. ^ a b Smith, Peter (27 January 2023). "Trans rapist story stirs up debate over Scotland's gender recognition reforms". ITV News. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  36. ^ Farquharson, Kenny (11 February 2023). "'Human beings can't change sex. We're not clownfish, it's fixed at birth'". The Times. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  37. ^ Cite error: The named reference Brooks3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  38. ^ "Transgender rapist Isla Bryson moved to men's prison". BBC News. 26 January 2023. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  39. ^ "Transgender rapist will not be jailed in all-female prison, Nicola Sturgeon says". ITV News. 26 January 2023. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  40. ^ "Nicola Sturgeon: Rapist Isla Bryson 'almost certainly' faking trans status". BBC News. 2 February 2023. Archived from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  41. ^ "Nicola Sturgeon says double rapist Isla Bryson 'almost certainly' claiming to be transgender as 'easy way out'". Sky News. Archived from the original on 11 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  42. ^ "Jailing of trans rapist Isla Bryson is 'shambles', says prison chief". BBC News. 26 January 2023. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  43. ^ "Trans rapist prison case 'must not lead to blanket rule', says campaign group". The Guardian. 27 January 2023. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  44. ^ "Scottish Prison Service to carry out 'urgent review' of trans inmates". BBC News. 29 January 2023. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  45. ^ "Trans prisoners in Scotland to be placed according to birth sex". BBC News. 9 February 2023. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  46. ^ Scott, Kevin (9 February 2023). "Prison service says women were 'not at risk' from trans rapist Isla Bryson". Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  47. ^ "Ban on trans women in female prisons extended – Raab". BBC News. 27 February 2023. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  48. ^ Mitchell, Jenness (3 July 2023). "Isla Bryson: Transgender double rapist complains of 'transphobic abuse' in prison". Sky News. Sky UK. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  49. ^ "Rapist Isla Bryson claims to have been victim of hate crime by prison staff". STV News. STV. 21 April 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  50. ^ "Trans women inmates who hurt females to go to male prisons". BBC News. BBC. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  51. ^ Gillies, Connor (3 October 2024). "Police Scotland considered logging double rapist Isla Bryson as female on sex offenders' register". Sky News. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  52. ^ "'Serious questions' for Police Scotland over proposal to record Isla Bryson as female on sex offenders register". Holyrood Website. 3 October 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
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