Nicola Sturgeon has said she believes a double rapist is “almost certainly” claiming to be transgender as an “easy way out”.

Scotland’s first minister was asked about Isla Bryson, who was convicted in Glasgow last month.

The rapes were carried out when she identified as a man called Adam Graham.

Ms Sturgeon said last week that Bryson would be removed from a women’s prison, where she was awaiting sentencing, following uproar about the safety of other inmates.

The rapist is now set to complete the sentence in a men’s prison.

All movements of transgender prisoners have been paused after it emerged another trans prisoner, who had stalked a teenage girl, was approved for a women’s jail.

On Thursday, a statement from one of Bryson’s victims was read in Holyrood by Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross.

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The woman said she was sure Bryson is “faking it” and had chosen to change gender as “an easy way out” after the rapes.

Ms Sturgeon said she believed that was “almost certainly the case” – but that it wasn’t the “key question”.

“The key and only important factor in this is that the individual is convicted of rape,” said Ms Sturgeon.

“The individual is a rapist – and that is the factor that should be the deciding one about the decisions about how that prisoner is now treated.”

The first minister was repeatedly pressed on the case, which comes after the UK government blocked controversial Scottish laws making it easier for people to legally change gender.

Despite agreeing that Bryson’s transgender claim is probably a lie, Ms Sturgeon said she couldn’t say whether the 31-year-old is a woman.

“I think that a rapist should be considered a rapist. That’s what I think,” said the first minister.

“That individual has been convicted of rapes and that therefore is the terminology.

“I’m not going to get into the individual circumstances of that particular individual’s claims to be a woman because I don’t have enough information about that.”

Prosecutors said Bryson “preyed” on vulnerable woman and committed two rapes – in 2016 and 2019.

During the trial, Bryson told jurors she knew she was transgender at the age of four but didn’t decide to transition until 29. She’s now taking hormones and wants surgery.

Her estranged wife, Shonna Graham, 31, has said the decision to change gender is a “sham”.

She told the Daily Mail: “Never once did he say anything to me about feeling he was in the wrong body or anything.”

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