Amnesty International UK Expresses Regret Over Report on JK Rowling's Support Centre
Amnesty International UK has expressed regret over a report that classified Beira's Place, a sexual violence support centre established by JK Rowling in Edinburgh, as "anti-rights." The centre was founded in 2022 by Rowling alongside other campaigners who argued it addressed an unmet need for women-only support services in the city.
Beira's Place was included in a briefing published last week by Amnesty titled "A Growing Threat: The Anti-Rights Movement in the UK," where it was identified as a gender-critical organisation. Following criticism, Amnesty has stated that the briefing was uploaded without undergoing the usual internal review processes and has since been temporarily withdrawn pending an internal review.
In an official statement, Amnesty International UK said:
"We regret that this briefing was uploaded to our website without going through the established internal review processes that are in place to ensure consistency, accuracy and alignment with Amnesty International UK's positions.
Its use of language does not reflect the position of Amnesty International UK which is why it was promptly removed.
We remain committed to defending human rights, including both the rights of women and the rights of trans people."
JK Rowling with founding board members of Beira's Place, former prison governor Rhona Hotchkiss, former Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont, GP Margaret McCartney, and director of For Women Scotland, Susan Smith
Background on Beira's Place and Its Founding
Rowling, a survivor of domestic violence herself, established and funded Beira's Place following controversy surrounding the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, which at the time was managed by a transgender woman. Rowling emphasized the importance of providing survivors of abuse with the option of receiving "women-centred" and "women-delivered" care.
The centre was named after Beira, the Scottish goddess of winter, whom Rowling described as embodying female wisdom and regeneration.
Controversy Over Amnesty's Description of Beira's Place
The Amnesty International report sparked backlash by listing Beira's Place among 117 organisations it described as part of an anti-rights movement due to their gender-critical stance. Also included was For Women Scotland, a campaign group that successfully brought a legal case resulting in the UK Supreme Court ruling that the term "woman" refers to biological sex under equalities law.
The Amnesty report claimed that this ruling contributed to a "significant decline in protection for LGBT+ rights."
Lesley Johnston, chief executive of Beira's Place, condemned the report's characterization of the centre, stating:
"This is inexplicable that it had been described as an anti-rights organisation.
This is deeply offensive to Beira's Place staff who work day in day out to support survivors, and to the women who need and use our service."
For Women Scotland has demanded an apology for how it was portrayed and has called for the Amnesty report to be permanently withdrawn.
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