ERCC via SuppliedThe CEO of a sexual assault support service in Edinburgh has stood down after a review found she failed to behave professionally.
Mridul Wadhwa – a trans woman – resigned after a Rape Crisis Scotland report established that she failed to provide women-only spaces for survivors for over a year and a half while head of Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC).
A review conducted by Rape Crisis Scotland (RCS) found that for around 16 months the centre did not provide dedicated women-only spaces – a requirement by National Service Standards.
RCS said the centre continued to declare to the service that it was meeting the standards – a move that has been deemed a “significant breach”.
The report also found the centre’s chief executive officer had failed to “set professional standards of behaviour” and that the centre “did not put survivors first”.
Google MapsAn ERCC statement said: “Mridul has stood down from her role as CEO of ERCC. Recruitment of a new CEO will happen in due course.
“We are committed to delivering excellence while taking on board the recommendations from the independent review to ensure we place survivors voices at the heart of our strategy.
“We are in daily communication with Rape Crisis Scotland, have met their urgent demands, and are currently implementing the recommendations in the report.
“We will continue to work alongside RCS to ensure our services not only meet but exceed the National Service Standards.”
‘Got things wrong’
Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre admitted it “got things wrong” and said women-only spaces were reinstated and clarified in February this year.
Despite the “serious failings” outlined in the report, RCS noted that the centre did “manage to deliver high quality services to a significant number of people.”
It also implemented up to date safeguarding training for staff and its data protection policy reviewed.
RCS said in a statement: “The needs of survivors should be listened to and respected when they come to any Rape Crisis Centre.
“It is important that survivors can make informed choices about the services they access at Rape Crisis Centres, and we recognise that for some survivors this includes the choice of a single-sex service.
“We are working with our member Rape Crisis Centres across Scotland to consider what more we need to do to ensure survivors can make informed choices about the support they receive from Rape Crisis Centres, to ensure they are able to access the services they need.”
Tribunal dispute
The review into the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) was put into motion after an employment tribunal found a counsellor had been unfairly constructively dismissed for her gender critical views.
Roz Adams won a claim of constructive dismissal, with the tribunal judge finding she had suffered harassment and discrimination.
The tribunal heard that Adams is supportive of trans individuals but believes that biological sex is real and not to be conflated with gender identity, beliefs which are currently referred to as “gender critical” or sex realist.
The ruling describes how when working at the centre, having started the job in February 2021, Adams became aware of its mantra that “a trans woman is a woman”.
The tribunal heard that she felt it became more and more apparent that there were issues regarding the way that gender issues were dealt with in the organisation, which she described as “eggshelly”.
Ms Adams said she welcomed the employment tribunal ruling.
She has since been employed by Beira’s Place – a women-only support service for victims of sexual violence – partly funded by Harry Potter author JK Rowling.
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