The Times- Rape victims will be referred to Rowling’s women-only centre

Rape victims will be referred to Rowling’s women-only centre

Police list Beira’s Place as an option for assault survivors
new
Mary Wright
The Times
JK Rowling with the board of directors of Beira’s Place. From left: Susan Smith, Johann Lamont, Margaret McCartney and Rhona Hotchkiss
JK Rowling with the board of directors of Beira’s Place. From left: Susan Smith, Johann Lamont, Margaret McCartney and Rhona Hotchkiss
NICOLE JONES/PA
Police are set to refer rape and sexual assault victims to JK Rowling’s women-only support centre in Edinburgh, according to a new report.
Police Scotland confirmed it would create a direct referral system for assault survivors to Beira’s Place, similar to the procedures they have in place for Rape Crisis Scotland.
According to the force’s latest quarterly performance report, they will also gather feedback from the women who have been supported by Beira’s Place, which opened in 2022.
The move could prove controversial because, while Rape Crisis Scotland proclaims its trans-friendly status, Beira’s Place is not available to men or trans women. It only employs and serves women and does not provide services to people assigned male at birth, which has led to criticism that it is trans exclusionary.
Rowling, the Harry Potter author, is funding Beira’s Place to offer support and advocacy to women in the Lothian area who have experienced sexual violence or abuse at any time in their lives.
Rowling has said that the centre, named after the Scottish goddess of winter, was established to address an “unmet need” of providing support to female victims of sexual violence via a women-only service.
A spokeswoman for Beira’s Place said: “We believe that women deserve to have certainty that, in using our services, they will not encounter anyone who is male. Where appropriate, we will refer men or individuals identifying as trans women to other appropriate services.”
At the time of its launch, Rowling said: “As a survivor of sexual assault myself, I know how important it is that survivors have the option of women-centred and women-delivered care at such a vulnerable time.
“Beira’s Place will offer an increase in capacity for services in the area and will, I hope, enable more women to process and recover from their trauma.”
Rape Crisis Scotland, in a letter to its trans service users during Trans Awareness Week, said: “Because of our
work to make Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre more trans-inclusive, the transphobia directed at our centre has been very loud lately.
“Though the threats are mainly online, the impact has been felt by both our staff and our clients. Sadly, we’re hearing from some of you that you’re afraid to come to the centre in person.
“We want you to know that every part of you is welcome here. In a trans-prejudiced world, we know that many of you are not safe and able to express your gender how you’d like.
“Whatever your gender expression and however you present, you’ll never be asked to disclose your gender history, or to justify your right to our support. We’re here for you.”
Under the Equality Act 2010, transgender people are protected from discrimination but services are able to exclude trans people from single-sex spaces if this exclusion is a “proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim”.
The Police Scotland quarterly performance report states: “Beira’s Place is a newly opened support agency run by women, for women over 16 only, based in Edinburgh and provides support to victims of sexual crime in the Lothians.
“We aim to create a direct referral procedure similar to the Rape Crisis Scotland (RCS) process and expand to obtain feedback from women supported by Beira’s Place.
“The majority of feedback received from survivors who have engaged with RCS support is positive.”

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