UK — East London, England. A creepy man who served prison time for terrorizing the mother of his child with death threats and images of a dead body covered in a shroud has been permitted to stay at a women’s refuge.

44-year-old Mark Addis was arrested in November 2013 and spent six months in prison on remand after repeatedly issuing threats to kill Julie Lane, his female ex-partner and the mother of his child.

Upon release, Mr Addis arrived at his current conclusion that he is a woman. He was homeless, and sought help from the Stonewall Housing Association, which is dedicated to providing housing advice and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-identified individuals. Stonewall referred Mr Addis to St Mungo’s. St Mungo’s allowed Mr Addis to move into one of their hostels, the LGBTQ Project.

While residing at the LGBTQ Project, Mr Addis changed his named to Melissa, and began wearing makeup and apparel designed for women.

However, Mr Addis has not changed on the inside, according to accounts from female residents at East London Women’s Project, a shelter refuge for women that Mr Addis visits each day.

East London Women’s Project is also run by St Mungo’s. St Mungo’s management permits Mr Addis to visit their women’s refuge, despite the fact that they are aware of his conviction for abusing his female intimate partner.

Female residents say Mr Addis has caused the women at the shelter “alarm and distress” due to his aggressive displays of “shouting, crying, threatening violence” in the presence of the “frightened, vulnerable women.” The women say that their multiple complaints to shelter staff have been ignored, and Mr Addis is able to visit daily, meet with his support worker on site, and attend the shelter’s social events.

Meanwhile, Mr Addis no longer resides at the LGBTQ Project. A source told the Mail that he was asked to move out due to his “violence and anti-social behavior.” Mr Addis denies this, claiming that he left because his lease expired.

He also insists that the women at the East London Women’s Project do not mind his visits: “I got on with the girls.”

Karen Ingala-Smith, chief executive of the domestic and sexual violence charity Nia, stated:

Homeless charities helping men who identify as transgender is a good thing but it should not be at the expense of women’s safety, well-being and recovery. Allowing a male who identifies as transgender with a history of domestic violence to enter what is supposed to be a safe space for women just shows utter contempt for women in that space.

Erin Pizzey, who in 1971 started the world’s first women’s domestic violence hostel in West London, declared:

It’s completely unacceptable to have men who have not gone through any medical transition entering women-only spaces. I believe homeless charities are betraying women by introducing this new policy.

Read more on this story When he was a man called Mark he was locked up after threatening to kill the mother of his child… today she’s a woman called Melissa and able to roam free at a shelter for female domestic violence victims

Daily Mail

Men who identify as women are being allowed to live in refuge hostels for female victims of domestic and sexual violence – even if they have not undergone sex-change treatment but simply say they want to live as a woman, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Domestic abuser allowed into women’s refuge after identifying as a female

VT

A domestic abuser who made chilling threats to murder the mother of her child was allegedly allowed into a women’s refuge shelter after beginning to identify as female.