Women’s rights campaigners slam UK cops for misleading description of trans fugitive

Women’s rights campaigners have criticised Surrey Police for making it harder to track down a wanted “female” suspect who is biologically male, accusing the force of risking public safety by using misleading language.

The police initially described “Skyla Stone”, a 49-year-old biological man who identifies as female, as simply a “woman” in a public appeal, later updating the description to “transgender woman” after backlash but continuing to use female pronouns.

Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend and campaigners from the Women’s Rights Network said prioritising gender identity over biological sex could endanger the public and erode trust in law enforcement.

Helen Joyce, of the organisation Sex Matters said that amending the description to “transgender woman” was not good enough, as some people may not know that a “‘transgender woman’ is not a woman at all, but a man who merely identifies as a woman.”

“This ideologically motivated nonsense makes it much less likely that members of the public can help find this man. It’s also destroying public trust in the police, and making it harder for conscientious public servants to do their job,” she said.

The controversy follows a recent report recommending that police record biological sex rather than self-declared gender, highlighting concerns about data accuracy and public safety.