JK Rowling has launched a furious attack on the head of an anti-rape charity, accusing her of “arrogance and complacency”.
The Harry Potter author has demanded that Rape Crisis Scotland chief executive Sandy Brindley resign following scathing criticism of a support service in Edinburgh.
Ms Brindley has clung on to her position after a damning investigation found that the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, under chief executive Mridul Wadhwa, a trans woman, was obstructing victims’ access to biologically female counsellors.
Over the weekend, the embattled chief executive told a newspaper that Rowling’s comments brought her to tears.
But yesterday Ms Rowling continued her attacks on Ms Brindley.
JK Rowling launched a tirade against Rape Crisis Scotland chief executive Sandy Brindley on Twitter
In a series of social media posts directed at the charity’s boss, the best-selling author said: ‘While you were in charge of Rape Crisis Scotland, a man now serving a prison sentence for multiple sexual assaults was “treated” in Edinburgh centre.
‘The man in charge of the Edinburgh centre called rape survivors who wanted services for men and women “bigotes”.
‘Under your leadership, several women excluded themselves from the Edinburgh centre because of the male chief executive whom you defended and praised.
Ms Brindley is under increasing pressure to resign following a scathing review of a support service in Edinburgh
‘Under her supervision, a 14-year-old girl who had been raped felt unable to access support because she was not guaranteed a space for her only sex.
‘For years, women’s groups and rape survivors themselves have told them that their policies were harming vulnerable girls and women.
“They didn’t care. They didn’t want to listen. With the support of government funding, they behaved with arrogance and complacency.”
He added: ‘I can only assume that her cosy relationship with the SNP government, which is a big supporter of gender identity ideology, made her feel untouchable.
‘You were never going to respond to women’s concerns unless someone high-profile challenged you.
‘Finally, you decided to respond publicly to one of the women who had concerns: me. And how do you address those concerns? You claim that you are my victim.
‘Maybe you should ‘reframe your trauma,’ like the man you publicly supported told rape survivors to do?
‘Or we could have an in-person meeting where you express your grief, and my partner, who you didn’t know would be there, will harangue you, exactly like you did with the rape survivors.’
Ms Rowling then referred to the service she set up for women in response to the gender politics of the Rape Crisis.
She said: ‘I set up Beira’s Place, a dedicated sexual service for victims of sexual assault in Edinburgh, because the survivors who fund it find it deeply traumatizing to be told they must regard men as women if men want to be seen that way – they literally had nowhere else to go.
‘They have placed greater importance on validating trans-identified men than on the needs of women survivors.
‘If I am not moved by your tears, it is because too many women have cried as a result 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”, said last week she believes there is no reason why transgender people cannot work in rape support centres, but that they should also provide women-only spaces.
She told the Sunday Times she cried in front of her daughter when a journalist told her JK Rowling had demanded her resignation.
She insisted she would not leave her post because of the scandal surrounding the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre.
And he said claims Rowling made about an earlier meeting between Rape Crisis Scotland and a group of survivors were “demonstrably false”.
Mrs Brindley told the paper: “What recourse do I have? I’m a single mother working for a charity. JK Rowling is a multi-millionaire. I have no recourse so the truth doesn’t matter.”
