A woman going by the name of Toni Smith is under investigation by the Derbyshire Police for inadvertently using the “wrong pronouns” when referring to a non-binary hospital patient, Reduxx and The Publica reports.
Smith allegedly suffered sexual and physical abuse at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, who identified as transgender, as well as from other men.
“When we met, he was a bodybuilder. His biceps were bigger than my head. I’d never met anyone as big as him,” Smith tells Reduxx of her ex-boyfriend. (RELATED: Google Searches For ‘Am I Trans?’ Skyrocket 1300% Since 2004)
More than a year into the relationship, Smith tells the outlet she was “completely blindsided” by her boyfriend’s news that he was transgender. Smith was then allegedly physically abused and forced to have sex with other men. At one point, Smith’s boyfriend allegedly strangled her so hard she passed out.
“He told me that the reason he’d strangled me and was so horrible was because he was jealous of me,” she said.
Videos reviewed by Reduxx and The Publica allegedly show a pattern of verbal and physical abuse. In one video, he admits to pouring a household disinfectant down her throat.
A UK woman who was sexually abused by a trans-identified male is now under police investigation for “offending” a transgender patient after being admitted to the hospital for trauma.
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After Smith finally broke up with her boyfriend, she experienced thoughts of self-harm, and sought medical attention at Chesterfield Hospital. A patient in the room with her heard about her assaults at the hand of her transgender-identified boyfriend. The patient, who identified as non-binary, was screaming “trans women are women” when she returned.
“I told her, ‘go and get raped by one and tell me how much of a woman they are,’” Smith told the outlet. “I didn’t shout at her, and then I walked off and went to bed.”
At one point, Smith got into an argument with a nurse, who insisted that she should use “they/them” pronouns to refer to the non-binary patient. The patient heard Smith’s conversation, and began shouting from the other room.
A month after her discharge, Smith reportedly received a letter from Derbyshire Police, alleging she had “performed a pubic order offense,” and that she, “directed words deemed offensive towards another individual on the ward.”
“This specific thing does not frighten me. I know they won’t be able to prosecute me. I know the law well enough… but the fact that the police are able to harass women because of their speech is frightening,” Smith said. “There’s nothing I said that is criminal. But it does worry me that they are doing this to women.”
Derbyshire Police told the Daily Caller offense harassment was recorded following “a report of threats alleged to have taken place at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.”
“We are aware of public interest in this case, particularly surrounding the rights of transgender persons. We would like to be clear that the focus of this investigation is on the threats reported, rather than any debate around the rights of individuals,” the police said.
“Officers have identified a woman we would like to speak with in connection to the investigation in order to ascertain the circumstances and details,” the statement continued. “When investigating any criminal offence, the full circumstances will be considered before deciding the appropriate action to take.”
“As a force we are aware that when people attend, or are placed in a mental health facility, their needs and behaviours may differ from the general public, however that does not mean that an offence has not been committed. In these circumstances officers will seek guidance from appropriate professionals to understand the capacity of the alleged perpetrator and balance the public interest in pursuing any criminal allegations. The needs and wants of the victims will also be a key consideration.”