Trans woman, 20, given three-year custodial sentence after being found guilty of rape
A transgender woman will spend three years in a youth detention facility after being found guilty of raping a woman in Guernsey.
Freddie Christian Trenchard, 20, now known as Alyssa Christine Trenchard, was found guilty of carrying out the attack in 2021 before she started identifying as a woman.
Trenchard was unanimously found guilty following a three-day trial at the island's Royal Court in July.
During the trial, the court heard how Trenchard invited the victim around to their home where the attack took place in 2021.
The victim reported the attack to Guernsey Police in February 2022.
Trenchard denied sexual intercourse had taken place, and suggested the allegations had been made as the victim was transphobic - something which was rigorously denied.
On Monday 30 October 2023, Trenchard was sentenced to three years' youth detention followed by three years' release on an extended license - making them subject to monitoring on release.
She will also be subject to notification requirements as a convicted sex offender for 10 years from the date of conviction.
Passing down the sentence, Judge Catherine Fooks said: "Those who commit rape can expect to go to prison and to have long orders made against them."
She went on to tell Trenchard: "Your actions have had and will continue to have a lifelong impact on your victim."
In an additional hearing on Monday afternoon, the prosecution confirmed that they would be appealing the three-year sentence on the grounds that it was "unduly lenient".
A date for that hearing has yet to be set.
As Guernsey only has one prison, men and women are detained there - in separate areas.
As of Friday 27 October 2023, 71 male prisoners and three female prisoners are incarcerated there.
The prison governor, John De Carteret, told ITV News: "We have accommodated trans prisoners previously and have an established policy in place to ensure we assess their specific circumstances and make appropriate decisions.
"Where a prisoner expresses that they identify as a gender that is different to the sex they were assigned at birth, we instigate a Transgender Care Board (made up of relevant prison and health professionals) to review all relevant information before decisions are made."
He continued: "Each offender is assessed on a case-by-case basis and an appropriate assessment of risk is paramount for the management of individuals who are transgender.
"The assessment of risk we carry out seeks to protect both the welfare and rights of the individual but also focuses on ensuring the welfare and rights of those around them.
"We would not accommodate a preoperative trans prisoner in a prison location that is not consistent with the sex they were assigned at birth."
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