On Friday, 19-year-old trans-identified male Freddie Trenchard, also known as Alyssa, was unanimously found guilty of rape by the Guernsey Royal Court for an offense that took place in 2021.
According to the Guernsey Press, it took the jury only an hour to reach its verdict. Prior to deliberation, Judge Cathrine Fooks told the jury that the defendant's status was not relevant to the trial because the incident happened before Trenchard transitioned.
The rape occurred sometime between May 1 and July 31, 2021, after Trenchard invited the victim to his home. The victim reported the incident on February 7, 2021. In reference to the time between the assault and it being reported, the Judge noted that it can take time for victims of a sexual offense to gain the confidence to report it.
During testimony, the victim said she cried through the assault and screamed "no" multiple times. The defense claimed that it was a case of one person's word against another and that no sex took place that day. It was also alleged that the victim made the report because she was "transphobic."
Jane Roper with Guernsey Women's Rights Network (WRN) attended the court proceedings and told Reduxx that the judge originally described Trenchard as a "transgender man" until she was corrected. She said, "Trenchard hasn’t so much as legally changed his name – let alone undergone any surgery."
"The judge was sent a message asking the defendant what he would like to be described as, and then actually apologized to him and told the court that Trenchard would like to be described as a ‘transgender female’," Fooks added. "In her opening statements, the judge said the alleged crime occurred ‘when the defendant was biologically male.’"
Guernsey Police confirmed to the outlet that Tranchard was recorded as a "woman" when arrested.
The Guernsey Police said on Twitter that Trenchard will be sentenced later this year and is out on bail until then.
