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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/11/transgender-prisoner-who-sexually-assaulted-inmates-jailed-for-life
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| Transgender prisoner who sexually assaulted inmates jailed for life | Transgender prisoner who sexually assaulted inmates jailed for life |
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| A “predatory and controlling” rapist has been jailed for life after she attacked vulnerable women in female prisons. | |
| Karen White, 52, who was described as being a danger to women and children, admitted sexually assaulting women in a female prison and raping another two women outside jail. | |
| White was on remand for multiple rapes and other sexual offences against women when she transferred to New Hall prison in Wakefield. | |
| White, who is currently transitioning, was jailed for two counts of rape, two sexual assaults and one offence of wounding. | |
| The Ministry of Justice has since apologised for moving White to the female prison, saying her previous offending history was not taken into account. | |
| She attacked two women while at HMP New Hall, a women’s prison, between September and October last year. At the time she was on remand for other offences. | |
| White also had previous convictions for indecent assault, indecent exposure and gross indecency involving children, animal cruelty and dishonesty. | |
| Prosecutor Chris Dunn described White as an “alleged transgender female” who has used her “transgender persona to put herself in contact with vulnerable persons” whom she could then abuse. | |
| “The prosecution say that because there is smattering of evidence in this case that the defendants approach to transition has been less than committed,” he added. | |
| Sentencing White to eight years-and-a-half years in prison, the judge, Christopher Batty, said: “You are a predator and highly manipulative and in my view you are a danger. You represent a significant risk of serious harm to children, to women and to the general public.” | |
| White appeared at Leeds crown court via videolink from HMP Leeds – a male prison – dressed in a patterned blouse and wearing a blonde wig and using a walking stick. The court was told that since entering the prison system in August, White, who was now using a wheelchair on a regular basis, had begun gender reassignment treatment. | |
| The court heard that White had a long history of sexual violence and had displayed predatory behaviour towards vulnerable adults and children for almost two decades. | |
| In 1989, when she was known by her birth name, Stephen Terence Wood, she was convicted of indecent exposure when she deliberately exposed herself near a children’s playground. | |
| Twelve years later White would go on to indecently assault and commit gross indecency with two boys aged nine and 12. She was jailed for 18 months. | |
| And in 2003, not long after coming out of prison and while still on licence, she went on to rape a pregnant woman – the wife of a friend. | |
| The defendant, who was then known as Stephen Wood and living in Manchester, had offered to help decorate a flat of the woman, who was two months pregnant. | |
| While there White secretly spiked her drink with vodka until she passed out and then raped her, the court heard. White was arrested but no information was given in court as to why she was not prosecuted at the time. | |
| The victim told the court in a statement the attack had ruined her life – her husband had not believed her. | |
| In a statement to the court she said: “I have no relationships with anyone. I felt very dirty as a woman. I became very depressed. Even now 15 years on I still struggle with mental health and suffer horrendous flashbacks. Until 15 years ago I was a strong woman.” | |
| White was first arrested in August last year when she threatened to kill her 66-year-old neighbour and repeatedly stabbed him with a steak-knife in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire. | |
| While on remand at HMP New Hall White began gender realignment, wearing a wig, makeup and false breasts. | |
| The court heard she became friendly with another female inmate. But on September 13 last year while in a queue for medication she pressed herself against the victim in a sexual manner. | |
| The matter was reported to police and another prison assault came to light. Another inmate told how she was in the prison workshop with White when the defendant was making “inappropriate comments”. | |
| White then grabbed her hand and put it on the defendant’s left breast with the words: “Oh look, they are not real ones.” | |
| While in New Hall White wrote a letter to a woman. It was this letter that sparked an investigation as the woman returned the letter saying that she did not want any further correspondence from White to be sent to her. | |
| Prison authorities and police began to investigate and the woman, in her 20s, told police White had violently raped her five or six times between January and December 2016. Police then also investigated the 2003 rape. | |
| While on remand White freely admitted to probation officers she was sexually interested in children and could abuse a child and “think nothing of it”. | |
| Addressing the defendant, Batty added: “You are a predator and highly manipulative and in my view you are a danger.” | |
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