UK rapist who underwent sex change surgery moved to all-women's prison

Aine Fox
Independent, UK
Tue, 21 Mar 2017 08:34 UTC

© PA

HMP Bronzefield, Britain's first purpose-built prison for women in Ashford, Middlesex.

Convicted sex offender Jessica Winfield, formerly Martin Ponting, relocated to HMP Bronzefield

The convicted rapist was previously held at top-security Whitemoor prison in Cambridgeshire, one of Britain's toughest jails.

Ten years ago Winfield complained of being victimised by staff and inmates because she was at that time a male transsexual. She wrote to prisoners' newspaper Inside Time to say she was given a "hard time because of my sexuality, possibly through lack of understanding and empathy".

One of Ponting's victims described the fact he was allowed a sex change as "diabolical". She told the newspaper: "There are not enough words to describe him and the evil he has done. It is diabolical they have allowed him to have a sex change and diabolical that he could be freed this year. He may have changed physically but his brain is still the same."

A Prison Service spokesman said: "We do not comment on individuals."

John Pilley, also known as Jane Anne, made legal history in 1999 when he became the first inmate in England and Wales to be granted permission for a sex change operation.

Pilley was serving life for attempted murder and kidnapping a woman taxi driver. It was later reported he decided to become a man again and was waiting to have his second operation on the NHS.

Campaign group Voice4Victims said Wingate's case "highlights the great imbalance of equality within our justice system".

Claire Waxman told the Sun help for victims and sex change operations for prisoners should be funded equally.

Source: Press Association

Comment: One of Winfield's victims further described the prison's preferential treatment as 'a kick in the teeth':

"You can change somebody's genitals but it's not going to take away the urge and impulse inside them to do horrific things to children.

"I feel like it mocks the people he offended against. It is a kick in the teeth for me and his other victim."

It's apparent that Ponting is playing on emotions, making himself/herself out to be the victim:

"So not only do I have the problem of dealing with serious emotional issues surrounding my gender reassignment sex change but also added pressures and issues due to comments and abuse from certain individuals.

"I have changed my name to that of a female to prove to the authorities and everyone concerned that I am very serious about my gender and that I do not feel right being a man.

"I feel like a female trapped in a male body," the transsexual inmate added.

But Winfield's brother, Nigel, 49, steered away from defending the accused and said: "The best they could do is throw away the key.

"He is a menace to the public and people need to be warned about him."

David Hines, founder of the Victimcare charity, also hit out at the decision to fund Winfield's £10,000 (about US$12,500) operation to transition to female, highlighting the incongruence in giving money to a double rapist while charities striving to support people's wellbeing struggle to "make ends meet."