Rape Crisis Scotland (RCS) will no longer refer survivors to Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) after a damning review found the actions of staff “had caused damage to some survivors.”

The report found the organisation failed to protect women-only spaces, contravening national service standards all of the country’s rape crisis centres are expected to uphold.

The review also stated that the centre's chief executive officer – a trans woman – did not behave professionally.

RCS said it was "extremely concerned" by the findings.

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The investigation was ordered this year after an employment tribunal found a staff member was discriminated against and unfairly dismissed because of her gender-critical beliefs.

During the hearing, Roz Adams told of a woman in her 60s who approached ERCC asking to take part in group work.

She had kept secret for 40 years the fact that she had been sexually assaulted and wanted to meet other survivors as part of her recovery.

When this woman asked for reassurance that any group discussion would be women only, she was advised that ERCC was trans-inclusive.

When she made clear that she was unhappy that she may be seeing someone who was not biologically female she was advised that she “was not suitable for their service and was excluded.”

The review - carried out by Vicky Ling, a trustee of four legal and advice charities - found that some “basic systems at ERCC were not robust and this did not help the organisation to manage situations well.”

This included “a strategy which did not put survivors first; a failure to protect women only spaces; poor review of systems, procedures and document control.”

The “weak governance” at the centre was also criticised, while CEO Mridul Wadhwa “did not understand the limits on her role's authority…and failed to set professional standards of behaviour.”

The report also mentioned an interview in 2021 where Ms Wadhwa told listeners of the Guilty Feminist podcast that some rape victims were “bigoted people” who needed to “reframe their trauma” and be re-educated if they didn’t agree all trans women were female.

This "traumatised" one survivor. 

In her recommendations, Ms Ling said the Edinburgh centre must review its strategy and “put survivors first as a priority.”

It also called on RCS to “facilitate a shared definition of woman/female” to be shared with centres across Scotland.

Women-only spaces and times "must be protected and clearly publicised", it said.

In a statement, RCS said the review had “presented challenging findings, and recommendations for improvements to the organisation, its operations, and how it provides services.”

They added: “We are extremely concerned that for around 16 months ERCC did not provide dedicated women only spaces, as required by the National Service Standards, while declaring to RCS that they were adhering to the standards.

“This is a significant breach.

“We have asked ERCC to produce an action plan, with clear timescales, to implement the review’s recommendations.

“We have also requested that ERCC conducts an urgent review of its data protection and safeguarding policies and procedures, and they have confirmed that this work is underway. “In the meantime, we have paused referrals to ERCC. Our helpline workers can discuss alternative support arrangements with survivors in Edinburgh at this time.”

RCS said the “needs of survivors should be listened to and respected when they come to any rape crisis centre.”

They added: “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.”

ERCC said it recognised it "got things wrong" and apologised.

It added: "We want to reassure all survivors who are currently accessing our services and anyone seeking support that we are still here for you, and you matter to us.

"We have information on our services, including our women only services, on our website."