Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre’s trans chief Mridul Wadhwa resigns

Women’s rights activist and chief executive of the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, Mridul Wadhwa, has resigned from her role.

Wadhwa, who is transgender, announced her departure after the publication of an independent review by the trans-inclusive center that criticized its policies on women-only spaces.

In a statement released on Friday morning (13), the Edinburgh Rape Crisis board said it had decided “the time is right for a change of leadership… We are committed to delivering excellence whilst taking into account the recommendations of the independent review to ensure we place survivors’ voices at the heart of our strategy”.

Wadhwa joined the organisation as Executive Director in 2021 after working at Forth Valley Rape Crisis Centre, and has been in the sector since 2005.

She faced consistent harassment from anti-trans groups who opposed her appointment, including hate speech on social media and unfounded accusations. The abuse became so severe that in 2022, the ERCC was forced into lockdown after staff consulted with security experts.

“It’s only recently that I’ve stopped looking over my shoulder or actively not thinking that I might be harmed,” Wadhwa said at the time. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t think I’ll be harmed. Even now, I believe I will be harmed. It’s almost inevitable.”

Wadhwa was placed on indefinite leave following the outcome of an employment tribunal in May, which awarded compensation to former employee Roz Adams for being constructively dismissed by ERCC over her gender-critical belief that service users should know the sex assigned to staff members at birth.

An independent standards report was commissioned to review standards of care within the ERCC.

The review concluded that Wadhwa “failed to set professional standards of behavior” and “did not understand the limits of his role authority.”

The review stated that the ERCC policy “requiring women to specify that they want a service provided by a biological female amounts to a fundamental failure in service delivery.”

In cases where service users requested to see a cisgender staff member, ERCC upheld their right to that request.

Report argues ERCC failed to protect ‘women-only’ spaces

The report said ERCC failed service users by failing to clarify the birth sex of each staff member. It noted two instances where survivors chose not to use the center’s services as a result of its policies.

It also found that 93 percent of survivors felt hopeful about the future at the end of their time at ERCC, with one saying he “went into the last session with confidence,” adding: “I was no longer just surviving, and I will be forever grateful to my therapist for that.

“My life has completely changed, I have a deep sense of strength and self-worth and I finally feel ready to step out into the world without anyone holding my hand.”

The two specific cases noted in the review included a survivor who chose not to use the ERCC out of fear of the gender assigned to their employee at birth.

Another person reportedly said she asked to be seen by a cisgender woman and that although ERCC assured her her needs would be met, she was not confident in the organization’s service.

“None of the women who spoke to the reviewer had used ERCC services in person, but they had come into contact with ERCC staff online or in a meeting,” the report said.

The ERCC said it welcomed the review’s findings and apologised to those who were affected.

“We acknowledge that we made a mistake. We are sorry. We are committed to making things right and implementing the report’s recommendations,” a spokesperson said.