Transgender stalker who treatened to 'batter' surgeon will serve sentence in women's jail
Taylor has been sent to a wing at a women's prison in Surrey (Image: Met Police)Women's rights campaigners are furious after a dangerous trans prisoner who threatened to “batter” a female surgeon was moved to a women’s prison. Vivienne Taylor, 28, who was born a man, was sentenced to 14 months in jail after pleading guilty to stalking, causing serious alarm or distress, to Tina Rashid.The stalking campaign stretched across four years and affected Ms Rashid’s work, family and social life. Ms Rashid, a senior consultant with a specialism in genital surgery for trans women, became so fearful of former patient Taylor she carried a safety alarm and paid £60-a-day for taxis to and from work.Sentencing, Judge Giles Curtis-Raleigh, sitting at Isleworth Crown Court in West London earlier this month, took what he called the “rare course” of imposing an “exceptional” restraining order without limit on Taylor contacting Ms Rashid. The stalking “fixation” culminated in a threatening message to Ms Rashid, suggesting Taylor was going to “batter” her and calling her “evil”, the court heard.Judge Curtis-Raleigh said the disturbing nature of Taylor’s crime had impacted Ms Rashid’s “work, family and every aspect of her life”. Taylor was initially held at male-only HM Wandsworth but has since been transferred to HM Downview, a women’s prison in Surrey.It is understood Taylor is being held on E wing, a separate section for biologically male inmates who identify as women. The judge noted Taylor was initially put in a male prison and said this had been a “difficulty”.Vivienne Taylor was been sent to a women's prison despite being born a man (Image: Met Police)Campaigner Fiona McAnena, of sex-based rights charity Sex Matters: “It’s appalling that Taylor, who stalked and threatened women with extreme violence, is being held at a women’s prison. The prison service knows Taylor is a risk because it claims that prisoners on E wing, the section for men who claim to be women, are kept separate from women.“But E wing was put on the women’s estate and not the men’s estate so trans-identifying men can have access to women’s facilities and even mix with female prisoners.“Many women in prison have experienced male violence. Some even say prison is the only place where they feel safe from men.“Now the women in Downview are being used as props for the affirmation of men living out a fetishistic fantasy of womanhood. If this man is being kept away from the women for their safety, he should not be at Downview at all.”Claire Coutinho, Shadow Minister for Equalities, said: “Under no circumstances should a male be placed in a women’s prison. Bridget Phillipson [Minister for Women and Equalities] needs to stop her dithering and delay, and finally publish the new EHRC guidance to ensure vulnerable women are properly protected.”HM Downview in Surrey (Image: PA)Feminist campaigner, author and journalist Julie Bindel was in court when Taylor – wearing a baby pink jacket and full make-up – was sentenced. She said: “In one swoop they are saying these men can’t be in men’s prisons because they are not safe but then we’ll just put them in the women’s prisons, because they think women will be nice to them. It’s just bull****. He’s a dangerous man.“Why is he not in a wing where he can be watched in a men’s prison?”During sentencing, the court heard Taylor has suffered mental health breakdowns and domestic abuse in the past.A Ministry of Justice spokesperson confirmed Taylor was at the site on E Wing. They added: “There is a separate unit for transgender prisoners at HMP Downview isolated from the main female population.” The MoJ confirmed E Wing inmates “in some circumstances may join supervised activities” with the wider female prison population.
