Medical professionals who try to help children with gender identity issues could become “frightened” of prosecution under SNP plans to ban “conversion therapy”, Hilary Cass has warned.
As reported by the Telegraph, the leading paediatrician, who last month published a landmark review into child gender services in England, said that clinicians would be worried about becoming the “test case” under new laws. The report continues:
The Scottish government plans to make it a criminal offence to attempt to “change or suppress” a person’s gender identity.
It has insisted that “ethical” medical practices would not be covered by the ban, which could carry penalties of up to seven years in jail.
However, giving evidence to Holyrood’s health committee, Dr Cass said that legislating in the area was fraught with difficulties and could create fear among therapists.
Some trans rights activists claim that anything not “affirming” of a person’s self-declared gender identity counts as “conversion therapy”.
However, Dr Cass told MSPs it was vital “holistic” assessments were carried out on children with gender “distress”, saying problems such as autism or family breakdown could explain their symptoms.
“It’s a big challenge and all I can say is I’m glad I’m a doctor and not a litigator,” Dr Cass said when asked about the conversion therapy ban.“Everyone should be protected from conversion therapy. But the challenge, thinking about the legislation, has been about intent.
“If a therapist engages with a young person and they change their views about their gender identity, and then they subsequently say it was because the therapist had an intent to change their gender identity, that puts the therapist in a difficult position.”
She added: “The anxiety that you may be the test case is making clinicians even more anxious, potentially, about working in this area.”
The Scottish Tories are pushing for the Cass Review to be implemented in Scotland, where gender services are influenced by American guidelines set by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).
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