Sex Change Aucklander Assaulted By Prisoners (Press, 9 January 1986)
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Summary: Sex Change Aucklander Assaulted By Prisoners (Press, 9 January 1986)
On 9 January 1986, a New Zealander named Shelley Reney was sentenced to 18 months in prison after being convicted of drug-related offences. Reney, aged 43, had faced significant challenges while in custody, as she was violently assaulted in prison due to her sexual identity. Her defence lawyer, David Matthias, testified in court that Reney had been subjected to a brutal attack while at Wormwood Scrubs, where she was held with male inmates after initially being remanded in Holloway women's prison. The assault left her with broken teeth from a chair leg being forced into her mouth, and she was also threatened verbally by other prisoners. Born male, Reney moved from Auckland to the UK in 1984 to undergo a sex change, and she was awaiting a second surgical operation at the time of her sentencing. The court proceedings referred to her using female pronouns, reflecting her gender identity. Reney was charged with knowingly allowing her flat in Marylebone, North London, to be used as a base for heroin distribution and for possessing cannabis. Matthias argued that prison life would be particularly harsh for Reney due to her circumstances, including the nature of her upcoming surgery. He noted that she had developed a drug addiction to cope with pain from her initial operation, leading her to steal prescriptions as a means to satisfy her cravings. The judge took these factors into consideration when reducing Reney’s initial sentence of three years to 18 months, citing her guilty plea and the difficulties she would face in prison. The judge also acknowledged her plans to return to New Zealand after her surgery, with the support of a partner named Stephen Anderson. Alongside Reney's sentencing, Anderson was also imprisoned for 12 months after pleading guilty to shoplifting, which included stealing an indoor game and a duvet. The specifics of which prison Reney would be transferred to were not disclosed in the report.
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