Nicola Sturgeon says she does not regret how she handled the issue of a rapist being placed in a women's prison, adding that the Scottish Prison Service had been dealing with trans prisoners “for years”.
In an interview with Sky News' Beth Rigby, Ms Sturgeon said the behaviour of a "tiny minority" including convicted rapist Isla Bryson could not justify denying rights to transgender people. Bryson was initially sent to a women's prison after being convicted of two counts of rape, before being diverted to a male prison following a public outcry.
The outgoing First Minister also said she received the most intense abuse of her political career over the gender recognition reform act, which seeks to make it easier for a transgender person to be legally identified in their preferred gender. She has denied being "out of step" with the public over the law, which will not affect a transgender person's ability to access their preferred facilities – a right enshrined in the Equality Act.
