THE chief executive of the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) has stood down after a review found it had failed to protect women-only spaces.
Trans woman Mridul Wadhwa resigned following a Rape Crisis Scotland report which found she failed to behave professionally while head of the ERCC.
The investigation, which was carried out by an independent consultant, found Wadhwa “did not understand the limits of her authority” and that the needs of survivors were not prioritised.
A review had been sparked after an employment tribunal found a counsellor with gender-critical views had been unfairly constructively dismissed.
The charity has paused new referrals to the centre and said it was “extremely concerned” women-only spaces had not been protected.
A statement from the ERCC said: “Mridul has stood down from her role as CEO of ERCC. Recruitment of a new CEO will happen in due course.
“We are committed to delivering excellence while taking on board the recommendations from the independent review to ensure we place survivors voices at the heart of our strategy.
“We are in daily communication with Rape Crisis Scotland, have met their urgent demands and are currently implementing the recommendations in the report.
“We will continue to work alongside RCS to ensure our services not only meet but exceed the National Service Standards.”
The review found the charity experienced a number of difficulties, including a restructuring of the service during the pandemic as well as a series of board and trustee changes.
It said some basic systems were not robust which “did not help the organisation manage situations well” and that this included a strategy which “did not put survivors first” as well as a failure to protect women-only spaces.
In its recommendations, the review said the Edinburgh centre should take advice from Rape Crisis Scotland on the definition of “woman” and publicise this within the service.
The report said women-only spaces “must be protected and clearly publicised” but also acknowledged the centre still continued to “deliver high-quality services to a significant number of people”.
People are still able to self-refer themselves to the charity.
