JK Rowling is funding a new support and counselling service for survivors of sexual violence in Edinburgh.
The author, who has written about her own experience as a survivor of sexual assault, is setting up the new centre, called Beira’s Place, because she believes there is an “unmet need for women” in the Lothians area.
The new project, which will be managed by two experienced specialists in rape crisis support, Isabelle Kerr and Susan Domminney, comes after a row about the role of transgender women in rape crisis services in Scotland.
In line with a longstanding policy of trans inclusion by the country’s official network, Edinburgh rape crisis centre has been run by a trans woman, Mridul Wadhwa, since May 2021.
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.”
Critics of Scotland’s gender recognition changes, which culminate next week in a final vote by MSPs on a bill to introduce new self-declaration rules for trans people, believe that appointment dissuaded some female survivors of male sexual violence from using Edinburgh’s centre.
Rowling has become a figurehead for gender critical feminists, who argue the changes erode hard-won protections for women.
Kerr said sexual offences “are gendered crimes that are overwhelmingly perpetrated by men and disproportionately experienced by women”.
She added: “Beira’s Place recognises that effective sexual violence services must be independent, needs-led, and provide responsive, women-centred services so that they are free from the pressure of current political agendas.”
Rape crisis specialists who support the Scottish government’s gender recognition changes said Beira’s Place would provide much-needed extra provision, because existing services were being overwhelmed by new cases. Under the Equality Act, services that exclude trans women are lawful if they are proportionate and legitimate.
Edinburgh rape crisis centre has had to close its books to new cases, with some existing clients having to wait up to 18 months for help. Beira’s Place, which will provide services to women across the Lothians, is expected to start taking cases in early 2023 but will not be registered as a charity, so is not regulated by the charity’s commission.
“Rape crisis services across Scotland are experiencing huge demand for their services. This demand, combined with a lack of sustainable funding, is leading to some centres facing very difficult waiting lists,” said Sandy Brindley, the chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland.
“In this demanding context, we of course welcome any new service which has in place rigorous safeguarding procedures and is staffed by highly trained professionals to support survivors of sexual violence.”
Brindley added:“It is crucial that the life-saving support offered by rape crisis centres is available to trans and non-binary people. All rape crisis services in Scotland offer support to trans women and have done so for 15 years. There has not been a single incident of anyone abusing this.”
A Scottish government spokesperson said they also supported Rowling’s initiative. “Violence against women and girls is abhorrent and we are tackling it through our Equally Safe strategy,” she said.
“We support a wide variety of projects to help eradicate or prevent it, and support frontline organisations that help survivors. We welcome any initiative that will support women and girls who have experienced sexual violence.”
