Criminals are being permitted to choose their gender, with police and courts routinely recording individuals based on self-declared gender identity rather than biological sex, a new independent report has warned. The findings, published on Wednesday, have raised concerns over safety and the integrity of legal processes, urging the Government to take immediate action to address the issue.
The report, led by Professor Alice Sullivan, revealed that transgender individuals, including those with violent criminal histories, are often recorded according to their gender identity rather than their biological sex. It said: “Many police forces record crimes by male suspects as though they were committed by women at the request of the perpetrator or based on how a person ‘presents’. This poses significant risks.”.
The report also highlighted the operational problems this creates within the justice system, with criminal records being misrepresented.
Prof Sullivan told the Telegraph: “The conflation of sex and gender has caused significant issues.
“There seems to be a legal fiction that public bodies cannot collect data on sex. This report should show them that they can collect data on sex.”
The issue is particularly concerning for the police, as criminals who have acquired a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) could be misidentified in police databases, potentially leading to them being released without their criminal history being properly reviewed.
Prof Sullivan’s report warned that the police national computer system allows the sex of individuals to be changed, which could result in serious errors.
It explained: “It is quite possible that an arrested person who has acquired a GRC without informing the police could be released or dealt with before any link to their previous offending history is known.”
Recent reports have likewise indicated that police forces and courts area allowing criminals to self-identify their gender, with transgender offenders, including rapists, recorded as female.
Critics claim that this undermines efforts to protect women, particularly when violent male offenders are housed in female prisons.
In the case of Isla Bryson, a biological male convicted of raping two women while living as a man, he was initially placed in a female prison despite his criminal history. Bryson was subsequently moved to a male prison after widespread public anger
The report also extended its criticism to the NHS, stating that prioritising gender identity over biological sex is leading to serious clinical risks.
The practice of issuing new NHS numbers based on gender identity has led to concerns that patients might miss vital health screenings, such as cervical smears or prostate exams, because their biological sex is not properly recorded.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, posting on X, said: “The Sullivan Review underlines the importance of recording biological sex – not just for research and insight, but also patient safety.
“Doing so does not prevent us from recording, recognising and respecting people’s gender identity where these differ. We’ll act on findings.”
A spokesman for the Department for Health said: “There are new, serious findings in this report which the department will urgently investigate and address with the gravity they deserve, as we reform gender identity services across the board.”