A witness at the Central California Facility for Women reported witnessing a jailhouse rape by a transgender inmate. Mimi Le provided a sworn declaration to lawyers from the Women’s Liberation Front, which will be included in their case against California. The incident involved a man who identifies as a woman being locked up in a women’s prison.
The victim was taken to a medical-administrative building after being reported raped by other inmates. The witness, Le, described the victim as barely conscious. The perpetrator, identified as Jonathan Robertson, a biologically male transgender individual, made rape threats and was seen as a danger to the female inmates.
Despite the threatening behavior, Robertson was initially not moved to administrative segregation. It was only after the Captain learned of the rape threats that action was taken, but the Warden overruled the decision. The witness expressed concerns for the safety of female inmates at the facility.
Following the incident, Robertson was transferred to the California Institution for Women, a lower security facility, just days after issuing rape threats. This move raised concerns about the failure of prison administrators to protect female inmates from predatory men.
Women’s Liberation Front executive director, Mahri Irvine, expressed sadness at the reported rape and the failure of prison officials to protect female inmates. She highlighted the alarming rates of sexual offenses among male inmates identifying as female and called for accountability from prison administrators and state legislators.
Campaigns are underway to relocate Robertson to a women’s prison. The witness statement and details of the incident shed light on the challenges faced by female inmates in the prison system.
