Transgender woman raped ‘over 2000 times’ in Australian men’s prison
A transgender women has opened up about the shocking sexual violence she suffered during her time in incarceration at an Australian men’s prison, to highlight the dangers of housing trans inmates in facilities of the wrong gender.
Mary, who used a different name for the interview, told News.com.au of her time in Queensland’s Boggo Prison, where she was repeatedly assaulted in the 1990s. She was sent to the male prison after being convicted of car theft, and claims she was raped daily during her time there.
During the interview she recounted what happened when she arrived at the jail’s reception. She was ordered to strip for a routine bodycheck, but by the time she had made it back to her holding cell, the news that she was transgender had already travelled through the prison.
“You are basically set upon with conversations about being protected in return for sex,” Mary says.
Upon arriving at her cell she said she was approached by men who were attempting to tie her into a sexual contract in exchange for protection.
Over her four year sentence Mary said she was forced into performing sexual acts more than 2000 times.
“It was rape and yes I was flogged and bashed to the point where I knew I had to do it in order to survive, but survival was basically for other prisoners’ pleasure,” she said.
During her four years in prison she was also denied access to hormone replacement and began to grow facial hair within a week. She also attempted to escape three times during her time there.
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