Mum fights for prison apology after trans daughter’s alleged rape

Hobart trans woman Marjorie Harwood would have turned 40 on the weekend. A year since her death, Marjorie’s mum is now fighting authorities for an official apology.

Rosemary, the mother of transgender woman Marjorie Harwood who died in July 2018, pictured at her daughter's grave. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

ROSEMARY Harwood’s trans daughter died more than a year ago, but there is still no peace as she fights for an apology from Risdon Prison, where her “special one” was allegedly gang-raped.

Marjorie would have celebrated her 40th birthday at the weekend, but Ms Harwood spent the milestone day at her daughter’s grave rather than with the child she always knew was “different”.

But she won’t give up the fight on her daughter’s behalf – requesting an apology from the prison along with recognition Marjorie was raped, and a promise to protect other transgender prisoners.

During 2017, Marjorie – who began transitioning about 2010 – was incarcerated at Risdon for stealing offences and placed in the male population.

After she was released from custody, Marjorie told her mother she had been gang-raped by five men while in prison, treated at hospital, and subsequently required a colostomy bag.

Marjorie died in July 2018 from kidney failure – a condition she had long suffered – but Ms Harwood said her daughter refused dialysis because “she’d given up on life”.

The alleged rape was never reported – but as Ms Harwood explained, trans people frequently don’t report sexual assaults, but that doesn’t mean they don’t happen.

Transgender woman Marjorie Harwood.

Over the past year, Ms Harwood says she’s approached the prison, the Tasmanian Ombudsman, a number of politicians, a lawyer and the Custodial Inspector, but they “keep putting up brick walls” because there’s no record of the alleged rape.

She also said she’d filed a statement with Tasmania Police.

Ms Harwood said one organisation seemed to have documents of the alleged rape, but she couldn’t access them without a subpoena.

A spokesman said the Department of Justice couldn’t comment on the allegations “for privacy reasons, and considering legal action has been foreshadowed”.

It also couldn’t comment on a possible apology for Ms Harwood based on the same reasons.

“The Tasmania Prison Service has a comprehensive policy for transgender, transsexual and intersex prisoners which prioritises safety, and treats prisoners with dignity and respect,” the spokesman said.

The department told the Mercury last year trans prisoners were housed in correctional facilities appropriate to their gender identification, but the Tasmania Prison Service had no record that Marjorie identified as female.

“The Government keeps putting up brick walls in front of me, they won’t acknowledge me,” Ms Harwood said.

“It doesn’t matter she was different – we’re all the same.”

Originally published as Mum fights for prison apology after trans daughter’s alleged rape