The family of a man murdered in Glenrothes by a sex-change killer have expressed anger after it emerged the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) will allow men who express transgender identities to move prisons at will.
Paris Green, 22 who was born Peter Laing and is planning to have gender realignment surgery in England lured Robert Shankland back to his flat before brutally murdering him with Kevin McDonagh, 23, and Dean Smith, 20.
They tied him up, kicked him, battered him with a rolling pin, choked him and put a plastic bag over his head at Green’s flat in Glenrothes.
The transsexual who has long blonde hair and wears make-up was sentenced to serve 18 years at the women’s prison in Cornton Vale near Stirling.
That was because he was about to undergo gender realignment surgery on the NHS.
But he was moved to a special section of HMP Saughton in Edinburgh after allegations he was having sex with other inmates.
Mr Shankland’s family campaigned to get him moved to a male prison, believing he was faking his gender issues.
They also demanded his taxpayer-funded sex-swap operation be cancelled but were told this would be against his human rights.
Speaking at the weekend, Mr Shankland’s sister Pauline Bell accused him of faking the gender swap for a more “cushy life”.
She spoke out after it emerged that prison bosses in Scotland have been told they must allow transsexual and transgender prisoner “additional property” including ladies’ clothing such as dresses and underwear.
Sex-swap convicts should also be given make-up and wigs, according to the new instructions.
Male prisoners who consider themselves women can request a move to a female prison, regardless of whether they have had surgical procedures.
They can also decide whether rubdowns or strip searches are carried out by male or female prison officers.
The instructions are contained in a new 34-page SPS document Gender Identity and Gender Reassignment Policy (PDF link).
Ms Bell, 41, said: “I’ve spoken to people in that jail (Cornton Vale) who know Paris Green. If they are all treated in the same way, they will get pampering sessions sitting in their cells getting their nails done.
“To do such a horrendous crime and to get away with it it makes me physically sick. He gets all the perks and for someone to do that is just wrong. He has never shown any remorse.
“Why, if he is a woman, is he using his penis like a man? Why would a woman want to use a penis?
“You know you’ll get it hard in a male prison but now you can go and ask to get a move to a women’s one, for a cushy life.
“There’s so much concern over political correctness and not hurting anyone’s feelings, but no one cares about what my mum feels every night.
“He’s playing the system and the system is bending over backwards for him.
“If you do the crime as a man, you should accept the punishment as one.
“My son’s in prison and he couldn’t pick and choose where he went. He did the crime and will do the time.”
Scottish Tory deputy leader Jackson Carlaw MSP said the new guidelines could be “open to abuse” by other prisoners seeking easier life.
However, James Morton, Scottish Transgender Alliance manager of gay rights group Equality Network, said undergoing gender reassignment in custody “provides no perks or special treatment”.
He said the policy provides a mechanism to enable transsexual prisoners to access the NHS treatment, basic dignity and safety which they, like everyone else, are legally entitled to whilst in custody.
SPS chief executive Colin McConnell said treating everyone with dignity and respect should be an aspiration for all in the prison service.