Police Scotland considered recording double rapist Isla Bryson as female on sex offenders' register

Police Scotland considered recording double rapist Isla Bryson as female on the sex offenders’ register, according to reports.

Bryson, 32, was jailed in February 2023 after being convicted of raping two women, crimes which were committed while living as a man, Adam Graham.

After being convicted at the High Court in Glasgow, Bryson was sent to women’s prison Cornton Vale – as per Scottish Prison Service policy – before later moving to the male prison estate.

Last week, Police Scotland insisted there was no record of a man being charged with rape whose gender had been recorded as female.

Scotland

Police Scotland insists ‘no man charged with rape has been recorded as female’

It comes after it was suggested a male rapist could ‘demand to be called a woman and further traumatise victims’.

In Scotland, rape is defined in law as penetration without consent by a penis.

Chief constable Jo Farrell said: “A man who commits rape or sexual assault will be recorded by Police Scotland as a male.”

A leaked document obtained by Sky News is reported to cast doubt on whether that has always been the case.

The report reveals a discussion about how Bryson could be dealt with when released from prison.

“When this individual comes back into contact with Police Scotland it would likely be a public protection matter in the management of sex offenders,” the document reportedly stated.

“In this instance they may be recorded as a female with the name Isla Bryson however the trans history would be appropriate to be retained on relevant policing systems.”

Areas where Bryson could be recorded as female included the sex offenders’ register and crime database.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “This report from 2023 set out proposals on potential future recording practices and standards in relation to sex and gender from a data analysis perspective.

“The Chief Constable addressed the matter of gender self-identification at the Scottish Police Authority Board in September 2024, during which Police Scotland committed to a broader review.”

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton MSP said Police Scotland had “serious questions to answer”.

“If they were prepared to allow a double rapist to be registered as a woman, it’s not just grotesque and offensive, it appears to completely contradict what the chief constable and her deputy said last week regarding their position on gender self-ID,” she said.

“Police bosses and SNP ministers must urgently come clean as to why this insulting, out-of-touch policy was ever adopted, and reassure the public that it has been ditched for good.”