Mon 5 Oct 2015 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
A rally will be held in Auckland this Saturday to condemn the alleged beating and sexual assault of a transgender woman in a men’s prison. No Pride in Prisons' recent hunger strike for a trans prisoner in Wellington. Image: Kiran Foster. Police and Corrections are investigating claims the woman was raped by a cellmate at the Serco-run Auckland South Corrections Facility on Friday night. She’s also alleged to have been physically assaulted by seven men on Thursday, after being taken out of protective segregation on Wednesday. “Prisons aren’t safe for anybody, but especially not for trans women,” says Emilie Rākete, spokeswoman for the activist groups No Pride in Prisons, which made the public aware the victim was trans. “The fact that this woman was in a men’s prison to begin with goes to show how little regard Corrections has for the safety of incarcerated people, especially if they’re trans. “The Department of Corrections knows that she is a trans woman, as they are administering her hormone treatment. But she is being kept in a men’s facility anyway.” Rākete says No Pride in Prisons will hold a rally in Auckland’s Aotea Square at midday this Saturday, where it will make two demands. “We will be demanding firstly that Serco and the Department of Corrections release public statements, taking responsibility for what happened last week. This would not have happened if not for the placement policies of Corrections, and for both Serco and Corrections’ thorough mismanagement of the facility. “Secondly, we will be demanding that the Department of Corrections reform their policy regarding the initial placement of transgender people in men’s or women’s facilities. We demand that the Department of Corrections publicly demonstrates its efforts in doing so.” Corrections altered its policy last year, so most transgender inmates whose sex on their birth certificate has not been changed can apply to be moved into a prison which matches their gender identity. Though Serco runs Auckland South Corrections Facility in a private partnership with Corrections, Rākete says this case is not a privatisation issue. “The Government cannot deflect blame for these incidents onto Serco. “Corrections policies maintain the prison system at the cost of human safety.” Corrections says the sexual assault allegations were immediately referred to police, and its Chief Custodial Officer will carry out a separate review. It says its contract with Serco sets out clearly that there is a zero tolerance for anti-social behaviour, including sexual assaults. “All prisoners have the right to be safe in custody.” Jade Follett grateful for support In August No Pride in Prisons successfully lobbied for trans woman Jade Follett to be moved from Rimutaka Prison to a women’s facility. It emerged she had made a written request to be moved to a women's prison two months previously, but it was not processed when a Corrections staff member went on leave. Corrections has since apologised. Follett has written to No Pride in Prisons and says the other inmates at Arohata Women's Prison are treating her very kindly. She has expressed thanks to all those who were involved in the protest action and says she was very surprised by all the coverage she got in the media.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 5th October 2015 - 10:30am