Biologically male transgender officers for the British Transport Police (BTP) are now allowed to strip-search female suspects, according to a report from The Telegraph.
Guidance drawn up by the BTP, seen by the paper, reportedly states that transgender officers who identify as women can conduct strip searches of women provided that the officer has received a gender recognition certificate (GRC).
The guidance, which was approved in September, states: “British Transport Police recognises the status of transgender and non-binary detainees/staff from the moment they permanently identify in that gender with or without a GRC.
“This means that even when a person has not legally changed their sex, we should continue to use the correct pronouns and recognise the person’s gender. BTP officers/staff will only search persons of the same sex as either their birth certificate or GRC.”
Separately, the BTP has also reportedly determined that staff can wear the “uniform in whichever gender they choose” and are allowed to use the changing rooms and showers of the gender they identify with.
Former Conservative MP Miriam Cates remarked on the strip-search policy: “Are you a man who wants to sexually assault women and get away with it? Just slap on some lipstick and join the British Transport Police!
“Yet more evidence that the Gender Recognition Act should be repealed,” she added.
A spokesman for the BTP noted that those subjected to strip searches may object to the officer conducting the search.
“An officer may only search as the sex indicated on their birth certificate or listed on their gender recognition certificate, whichever is more recent when enacting a statutory power of search under compulsion,” the spokesman said.
“A person being searched can object to being searched by any officer; this officer will be replaced by another member of the team to conduct the search in their place. This is regularly done in practice for many reasons, such as a way to de-escalate conflict.”
However, retired police superintendent Cathy Larkman, who now serves as the national policing lead for the Women’s Rights Network, described the policy as “state-sanctioned sexual assault”.
“This is state-sanctioned sexual assault and police chiefs have lost their mind bringing this in. They have failed women, it is absolutely unforgivable. It cannot go on,” she said.
The CEO of the pre-women’s rights charity Sex Matters, Maya Forstater, said: “Allowing male British Transport Police officers with gender recognition certificates stating their ‘acquired gender’ as female to strip-search women is a shocking breach of human rights. States have an absolute duty to protect citizens from degrading and inhuman treatment.
“Forcing a woman to strip naked and bend over in front of someone she can see perfectly well is a man is certainly degrading.”
A similar policy to allow transgender police to search women was withdrawn earlier this year after objections from the then-Tory government over safety concerns for women. The National Police Chiefs’ Council said in January that it would conduct a “thorough” review of the policy. In the meantime, local police departments should revert to their policies on the matter.