Below is our Statement on the male prisoner currently housed in Limerick Women’s Prison.
We condemn the Irish Prison Service’s decision to detain Barbie Kardashian in the women’s wing of Limerick Prison. Once again, Ireland has failed in its responsibility to protect its female citizens. We are horrified at this blatant disregard for the rights of incarcerated women, many of whom are locked up for minor, non-violent offences and are extremely vulnerable people. We believe this case has highlighted some major flaws in the Gender Recognition Act 2015. In no circumstances should a male-bodied person ever have access to women’s services such as prisons.
We are pleased to share a statement on this issue from Rhona Hotchkiss, ex- Governor of the Scottish Prison Service:
“As a Governor in Charge in the Scottish Prison Service, running male and female prisons and units, I have seen first-hand the distress, disruption and damage that having male-bodied people accommodated with women can cause. Since retiring in 2019, I have been a public and vocal critic of a policy that allows men – the vast majority of whom do not have a GRC & who did not identify as transgender prior to being sent to prison, to simply decide they are women and consequently be moved to the women’s estate.
Not all women in prison are vulnerable but the vast majority are, having suffered trauma at the hands of men. Not all transwomen, unlike ‘Barbie Kardashian’ present an active threat to women, nonetheless, their presence in women’s living spaces causes distress to and the retraumatisation of many women.
However, for all the criticism I have of SPS Policy, I am confident they would never allow any male presenting threats of violence/sexual violence to women to be held in the women’s estate. The only safe way to manage this individual would be to hold them in segregation and that is not a viable long-term strategy – legally or morally. In addition to the awful negative impact on the individual, allowing a male who is clearly getting gratification from making sexual threats to women to be dealt with – and searched – by a majority female staff group.
As a Prison Governor, I would have done my utmost to stop this happening.”
Rhona Hotchkiss, ex-Governor of the Scottish Prison Service
We have also noticed the silence on this issue from those who claim to stand for women’s rights in Ireland. We are appalled to see the reaction online from some so-called Irish leftists who have chosen to ignore the crimes committed and women harmed, instead choosing to give victim status to a criminal.
Make no mistake, BK is not an innocent victim. He has repeatedly shown no remorse for his victims, and has expressed disappointment that he didn’t get to kill them. No matter how tragic life circumstances may have been, male violence against women is always inexcusable. Rape is always inexcusable.
Let’s not let the Irish government fail women any longer. This is the 2nd time a dangerous male is placed with women. If this story angers you too, do something about it!
We are urging all who read this to put pen to paper and write or email your TD. Let the government know that we don’t stand for this injustice against the most vulnerable women in our society.
Demand that Barbie Kardashian be removed from the women’s facility. Demand that the Irish Prison Service puts policies in place which will ensure that from now on, violent males with gender recognition certs are never able to gain access to women’s prisons. You can use our template provided below, or take inspiration from it to write your own. Speak your mind!
Letter Template to send to your elected representatives
Dear ___________,
I am writing to you in relation to the recent news of a male-bodied individual housed in Limerick Women’s Prison, Barbie Kardashian.
I was alarmed to read about Barbie’s behaviour and intent to commit matricide, rape and murder. However, I am even more appalled to hear that Barbie Kardashian is currently housed in Limerick Women’s Prison.
This makes the second case in Ireland of the State deciding that a fully intact male possessing a Gender Recognition Certificate who is guilty of sexual assault is ok to be housed with a vulnerable group of women.
According to this report, all it takes for a man to be sent to women’s prison is a Gender Recognition Certificate, which is free and clearly doesn’t have any safeguards in place for rapists.
In 2019, a pre-operative, pre-hormone therapy transwoman was convicted of ten counts of sexual assault and 1 count of child abuse and was housed in Limerick Women’s Prison. This inmate has 2 guards assigned to him at all times. This year, a pre-operative, pre-hormone therapy transwoman was arrested for threatening to kill women, one of which was his mother.
I am writing to express my concern that this individual who has expressed his “continuing wish to rape and murder women”, who prior to being arrested was placed in “a non-secure voluntary placement, where the teenager would have been supervised by up to SEVEN male staff” is now housed with vulnerable women and is clearly a grave risk.
Surely it is time to address the massive elephant in the room? The Gender Recognition Act law, as correctly stated by Robert Purcell, is challenging for the courts and the Irish Prison Service since there is a safety issue for women inmates housed alongside a male-bodied prisoner.
How is this acceptable?
How is this not a violation of women’s rights? What safeguards do we have in place so this doesn’t happen again?
As my public representative, I would like you to raise this serious matter with the Minister directly and appeal to the Minister to address this issue.
Yours sincerely,
__________________________
Alternatively, you can download the word document below. You can find the details of your elected representatives by clicking here.
Gabi is a radical feminist from Ireland.