JK Rowling roasts Nicola Sturgeon over decision to send trans double rapist to women’s prison

JK Rowling today launched a new and extraordinary attack on Nicola Sturgeon – branding her Orwellian – after the First Minister accused critics of her transgender Bill of being misogynistic, homophobic and racist.

The Harry Potter author has torn holes in the SNP leader’s handling of the Isla Bryson scandal after the transgender double rapist spent days in Scotland’s female prison before being moved to male prison, HMP Edinburgh.

Ms Rowling claims that Ms Sturgeon must now move Katie Dolatowski – a transgender paedophile born a man who tried to covertly film, abduct and rape schoolchildren – who is still held at Cornton Vale women’s jail in Stirling.

With critics claiming the scandal could bring down the Government’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill – and even the First Minister herself – Ms Rowling pointed out inconsistencies in Ms Sturgeon’s position and calling Bryson a man.

She tweeted: ‘So in Nicola Sturgeon’s Scotland, trans women AREN’T women if they’re convicted double rapists, like Adam ‘Isla Bryson’ Graham. 

‘However, trans woman and paedophile Katie Dolatowski, who covertly filmed a 12-year-old and attempted to rape a 10-year-old, both offences committed in women’s public bathrooms, IS a woman and remains in the women’s prison from which Adam Graham is to be removed. 

Isla Bryson, 31, (right), who was born Adam Graham (left), was convicted of raping two woman. Bryson was initially sent to a women’s jail but moved after an outcry

Katie Dolatowski – a transgender paedophile born a man who managed to stay at Leeds Women’s Aid refuge for 71 days – is also held at Cornton Vale women’s jail

JK Rowling has used her Twitter account, with 14million followers, to hammer Nicola Sturgeon and her Orwellian politics 

‘Never forget, Sturgeon, her government and supporters have insisted that it is ludicrous to imagine anyone would dress in women’s clothes to get access to vulnerable women and girls. Wouldn’t happen. Everyone is who they say they are. To question this is hate’.

She then quoted George Orwell’s 1984: ‘The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.’

Ms Rowling has been highly critical of the SNP’s Gender Recognition Bill, warning that ‘all a man needs to “become a woman” is to say he’s one’. 

She also threw her weight behind Scottish campaigners who marched on Holyrood in a protest against controversial transgender plans, wearing a T-shirt with the message ‘Nicola Sturgeon, destroyer of women’s rights’.

Ms Sturgeon today refused to rule out a ‘blanket’ ban on biologically male rapists being held in female jails despite a humiliating U-turn in the Isla Bryson case yesterday.

The First Minister also let fly at critics of her ailing Gender Recognition Reform (GRR) Bill, claiming some are ‘transphobic’, ‘deeply misogynist’ and ‘possibly racist as well’.

She is said to have backed the decision that the transgender sex attacker should be moved to the male section of HMP Edinburgh following days of fury after she was remanded in Cornton Vale – Scotland’s only female prison.

Addressing the Scottish Parliament yesterday she said: ‘I don’t see how it’s possible to have a rapist within a women’s prison’.

But in an interview with The News Agents, Ms Sturgeon appeared to oppose any ‘blanket approach’. She said she backed the ‘general principle [that] someone who rapes a woman should not be in a women’s prison’. 

Leaving the door open to exceptions, she said that there’s a ‘danger with a blanket approach because you catch cases that you shouldn’t’.

Cybernats group Wings over Scotland, which is pro-independence but anti Ms Sturgeon, tweeted: ‘Which cases of rapists in women’s prisons SHOULDN’T you catch? Which rapists should you be allowing into women’s prisons? Just the *nice* rapists?’

JK Rowling (pictured wearing a t-shirt with the message ‘Nicola Sturgeon, destroyer of women’s rights) has thrown her weight behind Scottish campaigners who marched on Holyrood in a protest against controversial transgender plans

Speaking to Global’s The News Agent’s podcast, the First Minister said there’s a ‘danger with a blanket approach’ to the ‘general principle [that] someone who rapes a woman should not be in a women’s prison’

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Isla Bryson, 31, raped two vulnerable women before transitioning in 2020. Between 2016 and 2019, when the attacks happened, Bryson was a shaven-headed thug by the name of Adam Graham (pictured)

Ms Sturgeon also told LBC that some critics of her Gender Recognition Reform (GRR) Bill are using the ‘cloak of caring about women’s rights’ to hide their ‘misogyny and racism’. 

‘That’s not everybody who opposes this bill. I want to be very clear about that. But there are people who have opposed this bill that cloak themselves in women’s rights to make it acceptable, but just as they’re transphobic you’ll also find that they’re deeply misogynist, often homophobic, possibly some of them racist as well’, she said.

Her words may be a move to try to rescue her controversial trans laws that were left in disarray by the decision to move Isla Bryson away from the women’s prison estate to a male jail.

But Scottish Tory Leader Douglas Ross said: ‘This is desperate from the First Minister.

‘If you disagree with Nicola Sturgeon’s policy that risks the safety of women and girls she brands you homophobic, racist and transphobic. 

‘Utterly shameful language that shows just how far from public opinion she is’.

Last night critics said the Bryson case had highlighted dangers posed by the Bill to women’s safety and inconsistencies in Ms Sturgeon’s position. 

The U-turn happened just a day after her justice secretary backed the decision by the Scottish Prison Service.

Isla Bryson raped two women while living as a man, and began transitioning from male to female in 2020, after she was charged with the two sex attacks.

The former DJ’s estranged wife Shonna Graham has dismissed her husband’s transition as a ‘sham’ and told the Mail this week Bryson was ‘bullsh***ing the authorities’ to avoid a men’s prison.

The extraordinary case enraged opponents to Ms Sturgeon’s Gender Recognition Reform (GRR) Bill, who said it demonstrated the potential risks of allowing gender self-identification without the need for medical evidence or diagnosis.

Speaking during First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood, Ms Sturgeon confirmed Bryson would not be kept at Cornton Vale women’s prison, near Stirling. She failed, however, to mention the facility is due to shut from the end of next month anyway.

She said the decision had been taken by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) but added: ‘I don’t think it’s possible to have a rapist within a women’s prison.’

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross questioned why Bryson was initially been placed in the segregation unit of the female-only jail.

Mr Ross said: ‘This double rapist only decided to change gender after he was charged by the police.

‘It took the threat of jail for this criminal to decide to change his gender. That’s not a coincidence, that is a conscious decision.

A van arrives at HMP Edinburgh last night where Isla Bryson is now incarcerated 

‘We think it is wrong that a rapist is sent to a women’s prison. We believe a rapist having access to a women’s single-sex space is a threat.’

Scottish Tory MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston said: ‘It is shameful that Nicola Sturgeon refuses to admit that her government – and her own SNP ministers – have allowed a double rapist to be held in a women’s prison.’

His colleague Tess White added: ‘A predatory double rapist being held in a women’s prison for any length of time is dangerous. An SNP minister defended the decision one day – then Nicola Sturgeon backtracked the next. What would have happened if there hadn’t been a public backlash?’

Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish Government had not given any ‘formal direction’ to the SPS over Bryson’s imprisonment but it is understood representations were made in the background.

She said: ‘This individual case is not about whether they are trans or not, in this individual case this is a person who’s been convicted of rape, so this individual is a rapist and a sex offender and that is what’s important.’

Last week, Westminster said it would use powers known as a Section 35 order to stop the GRR bill gaining royal assent on the basis it would cut across UK-wide equality legislation.

Scottish Conservative equalities spokesman Rachael Hamilton said: ‘The case of Isla Bryson has been the ultimate illustration of the dangers of Nicola Sturgeon’s GRR Bill.

‘Legal experts have warned that it would be near impossible to exclude male sex offenders seeking to abuse the prison system, once they are armed with a Gender Recognition Certificate.

‘Under Nicola Sturgeon’s reckless gender ID reforms, a predator could get one in just three months – vastly less time than most rape trials take.

‘The First Minister will be putting vulnerable women and girls at risk unless she finally bans sex offenders awaiting trial and those already convicted from obtaining a new Gender ID – a Scottish Conservative amendment the SNP shamefully voted against in December.

‘The UK Government’s Section 35 order is the chance for the SNP to learn from this disgraceful case and fix the dangerous errors in this Bill.’