JK Rowling blasts ‘arrogant’ Rape Crisis boss in row over controversial support centre led by a trans woman

JK Rowling has launched a furious attack on the head of an under-fire rape charity, accusing her of ‘arrogance and complacency’.

The Harry Potter author has demanded Rape Crisis Scotland’s chief executive Sandy Brindley quit following a scathing review into a support service in Edinburgh.

Ms Brindley has clung on to her role after a damning review found the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, under the management of chief executive Mridul Wadhwa, a trans woman, hindered victims’ access to biologically female counsellors.

At the weekend the embattled chief executive told a newspaper Ms Rowling’s remarks reduced her to tears.

But yesterday Ms Rowling continued her broadside against Ms Brindley.

Ms Brindley is under increasing pressure to step down following a scathing review into a support service in Edinburgh

In a series of social media posts addressed to the charity chief, the best-selling author said: ‘While you’ve been in charge at Rape Crisis Scotland, a man now serving time in prison for multiple sexual assaults was “treated” at the Edinburgh centre.

‘The man in charge of the Edinburgh centre called rape survivors who wanted single sex services “bigots”.

‘Under your leadership, multiple women self-excluded from the Edinburgh centre because of the male CEO you defended and praised.

‘On your watch, a 14-year-old girl who’d been raped felt unable to access support because she wasn’t guaranteed a single sex space.

‘For years, you’ve been told by women’s groups and rape survivors themselves that your policies were harming vulnerable girls and women.

‘You didn’t care. You wouldn’t listen. Backed by government funding, you behaved with arrogance and complacency.’

She added: ‘I can only assume your cosy relationship with the SNP government, which is a big fan of gender identity ideology, made you feel untouchable.

‘You weren’t ever going to respond to women’s concerns unless someone high profile challenged you.

‘Finally, you decided to respond publicly to one of the women with concerns – me. And how do you address those concerns? You claim you’re my victim.

‘Perhaps you should “reframe your trauma”, as the man you backed publicly told rape survivors to do?

‘Or we could have an in-person meeting where you express your pain, and my partner, who you didn’t know would be present, harangues you – exactly as you did to rape survivors.’

Ms Rowling then made reference to the service she established for women in response to Rape Crisis’ policy on gender.

She said: ‘I set up Beira’s Place, a single sex service for victims of sexual assault in Edinburgh, because survivors who fund it deeply traumatising to be told they must consider men as women if the men want to be seen that way had literally nowhere else to go.

‘You’ve placed higher importance on validating trans-identified men than on the needs of female survivors.

‘If I’m not moved by your tears, it’s because too many women have cried as a consequence of the ideology you insisted they should embrace [when] they were at their most vulnerable.’

Rape Crisis Scotland is the umbrella body for centres such as the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre.

Ms Brindley, who once backed Ms Wadhwa as an ‘amazing sister’, last week said she believes there is no reason why transgender people could not work in rape support centres but that they must also provide women-only spaces.

She told the Sunday Times she was in tears in front of her daughter when she was told by a journalist JK Rowling’s demand for her resignation.

She insisted she would not leave her post because of the furore surrounding the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre.

And she said claims Ms Rowling has made about a previous meeting between Rape Crisis Scotland and a group of survivors were ‘demonstrably false’.

Ms Brindley told the newspaper: ‘What recourse do I have? I am a single parent that works for a charity. JK Rowling’s a billionaire. I have no recourse, so truth doesn’t matter.’