![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/139\/590x\/1726315_1.jpg?r=1674679773607\")
<\/p>\nIsla Bryson, previously known as Adam Graham, was convicted of raping two women and is awaiting sentencing at Cornton Vale women’s prison in Stirling.<\/p>\n
The First Minister is now coming under pressure from Scottish Tories and women’s activists to address the decision to house Bryson in a female facility.<\/p>\n
A Twitter user shared a photo of Ms Sturgeon holding the hands of a young girl with the caption: “Tonight’s question… what’s your best guess as to what Sturgeon is asking this little girl?”<\/p>\n
Harry Potter author Ms Rowling replied to the tweet, saying: “‘Do you agree that a convicted double rapist who decided he was a woman after appearing in court belongs in a women’s prison, or are you a nasty, far right bigot?’”<\/p>\n
Ms Rowling had once photographed herself wearing a T-shirt calling the First Minister a “destroyer of women’s rights”.<\/p>\n
Ms Sturgeon had attempted to introduce a law which would have allowed Scots to change their legal sex by signing a declaration, but it was blocked by the UK Government.<\/p>\n
During the passing of the Bill, a number of MSPs attempted to introduce added safeguards, including those accused of rape charges to be prevented from changing their legal sex while awaiting trial – but some supporters dismissed these changes as “transphobic dog whistles”.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Women’s rights campaigner Joanna Cherry, an SNP MP, said she was concerned about the safety of prisoners in the jail.<\/p>\n
She said: “To many people, it will look like this convicted rapist has gamed the system in order to try and garner sympathy, and to end up in a women’s prison. And I think a lot of people will be shocked by that.<\/p>\n
“So, I think we should be talking about these cases. Women in prison are very vulnerable.”<\/p>\n
Bryson was found guilty of raping one woman in Clydebank in 2016 and another in Glasgow in 2019 following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow. Bryson first appeared in court as Adam Graham in 2019 but was later named in court papers as Isla Annie Bryson.<\/p>\n
The Scottish Prison Service said it decides where to send transgender prisoners “on an individualised basis, informed by a multi-disciplinary assessment of both risk and need”.<\/p>\n
Downing Street said it understands concerns about the case. Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said: “This is a case in which the courts are yet to hand down a sentence so I’m not going to give anything on the specifics.”<\/p>\n