Anger as rape crisis centres recruit ‘self-identifying’ women to provide counselling and advice for victims of sex abuse

Jul 14, 2020 by Jill

by Martin Beckford, Mailonline:

Men who ‘self-identify’ as female are being allowed to work for rape crisis centres, to the fury of women’s rights campaigners.

Helplines across England are advertising for transgender volunteers to provide counselling and advice for victims of sex abuse, even if they are not legally or physically female.

Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre wrote on social media: ‘We are looking for self-identifying women to join our amazing helpline and email support volunteer team.’

The charity said it was ‘trans inclusive’ and insisted there was no risk of ‘men dressing up as women to access vulnerable women’.

The centre deleted the remarks on Twitter after a storm of criticism but its website still advertises a job open to ‘self-identifying women’.

Elsewhere, Sheffield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre is advertising positions that are only open to women – but said that included ‘self-identifying women’. And Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds said: ‘If you identify as a woman or girl… then we are here for you.’ And it welcomed transgender women to ‘deliver our services as volunteers or employees’.

The services are now facing an angry backlash from those who say that women must be able to access female-only victims’ services. Under English law, only men can be convicted of rape.

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