'The man pled guilty!': Ex-prison governer blasts Humza Yousaf's silence on predator's gender controversy

19 May 2023, 10:17 | Updated: 19 May 2023, 13:34

Rhona Hotchkiss: Yousaf made a 'dreadful mistake' by not stating that male prisoners are accountable

By Madeleine Wilson

Ex-governor of HMP Corton Vale Rhona Hotchkiss told Nick Ferrari that Humza Yousaf made a "dreadful mistake" by not stating that male prisoners will be held accountable regardless of their identity.

Ex-governor of HMP Corton Vale Rhona Hotchkiss spoke to Nick Ferrari at Breakfast after Scotland's first minister Humza Yousaf refused to say whether a predator, who dressed as a woman, to abduct and sexually assault a little girl, will be sent to a male or female prison.

The butcher, who was born Andrew George Miller, but identifies as Amy, pleaded guilty to four charges - abduction, sexual assault, watching pornography in the presence of a child under the age of 13, and possessing 242 indecent images of children.

Ms Hotchkiss said to Nick that Scotland's first minister had made a "terrible mistake" by not affirming that all prisoners, regardless of their identity, will be held responsible for the omission of specifying gender is made.

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At the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday, a narrative of Miller's offences were read out, which judge Lord Arthurson described as "abhorrent crimes" of the utmost "deviance and depravity" which were "the realisation of every parent's worst nightmare".

Nick asked: "Why do you imagine he expressed such sensitivity about what would appear to be a clear-cut case?"

She replied: "I think politicians are frightened of this issue.

"They do not want to get it wrong and for some of them they actually genuinely believe that trans women are women, and that should apply in all circumstances.

"I'm not sure about Humza Yousaf but certainly in this case I think he just panicked and got the wrong end of the stick completely..."

READ MORE: Humza Yousaf refuses to say if predator who dressed as a woman to kidnap and abuse girl will be sent to female prison

Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf told LBC that the case was "heartbreaking" and "gut-wrenching".

He confirmed Miller is being held in a male prison but refused to say if he will be moved to a women's jail following sentencing.

READ MORE: Trans paedophile who served in Scottish women's prison praised Nicola Sturgeon's transgender reforms