Mother of trans inmate she claims was gang raped in Risdon Prison still fighting for recognition
The mother of a trans woman who claims she was gang raped when thrown in with the male population in Risdon Prison is still waiting for an apology – but has been met with silence.
Tasmania
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IT’S been three years since Rosemary Harwood’s trans daughter Marjorie was allegedly gang raped while incarcerated among the male population at Risdon Prison.
And Ms Haywood is still waiting for a public apology from the state government and for the alleged crime to be acknowledged by authorities.
Rosemary and her band of supporters held a rally outside the jail on Sunday and laid out a mosaic created in Marjorie’s memory.
She died a year after her release and would have turned 42 this tomorrow, Tuesday, December 8.
“There has been no public recognition that what happened and the men that raped her have not been held accountable for what they did,” Ms Haywood said.
“They authorities stuffed up. She was not housed properly. Hopefully new protocols will change for others in Marjorie’s positions.
In 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 while in prison, treated at hospital and now required a colostomy bag.
She 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 Ms Harwood has previously said, trans people frequently don’t report sexual assaults, but that doesn’t mean they don’t happen.
Her mother later reported the incident to authorities.
A government spokesman said the Tasmania Prison Service had a comprehensive policy for transgender, transsexual and intersex prisoners which prioritises safety, and treats prisoners with dignity and respect.
“It would not be appropriate to comment on allegations or details of individual cases.” they said.