Sally Anne Dixon

Sally Anne Dixon, who identifies as a woman, was convicted and sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment for a series of sexual offences against seven children that occurred more than two decades ago. At the time of the abuses, Dixon was living as a man under the name John Stephen Dixon. The case came to light through an investigation by Sussex Police, leading to her trial at a court in Sussex where Judge Mark Van Der Zwart presided.

The offences, described as historic sex crimes, involved the sexual abuse of multiple child victims, now adults. Court proceedings revealed that Dixon did not possess a Gender Recognition Certificate, which became a point of contention in public discourse following the sentencing. Sussex Police issued a statement referring to Dixon as a woman, aligning with the court's findings, but this sparked criticism on social media for allegedly prioritising gender identity over biological facts related to the crimes.

The controversy escalated when Sussex Police responded to a Twitter comment labelling Dixon as a man, stating: 'Hi, Sussex Police do not tolerate any hateful comments towards their gender identity regardless of crimes committed. This is irrelevant to the crime that has been committed and investigated. Sussex Police.' This reply drew widespread backlash, including from Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who retweeted it and commented: '@Sussex_police have done well to put a dangerous criminal behind bars. But they’ve got it wrong by playing identity politics and denying biology. Focus on catching criminals not policing pronouns.' The tweet was subsequently deleted after screen captures circulated online.

In response to the public outcry, Sussex Police issued a formal apology on 28 September 2022. Their statement read: 'On Monday, September 26 2022 we reported on the conviction of a sexual predator for historic sex offences in Sussex. The court sentenced Sally Anne Dixon as a woman to 20 years in prison for offences committed against seven children, now adults. We reported factually on the findings of the court which heard that, at the time of the offences, Dixon was living as a man, John Stephen Dixon. The relevant offences were recorded as being committed by a male. An earlier reply to comment on Twitter was inconsistent with our usual style of engagement; we apologise for this and have removed the comment. We recognise the rights of the public to express themselves freely within the boundaries of the law.' This incident highlighted tensions between law enforcement's approach to gender identity and public expectations in reporting on serious crimes.

The sentencing took place in July 2022, with the full 20-year term reflecting the gravity of the paedophilic offences. Sources for this account include the SussexLive article published on 27 September 2022 and official statements from Sussex Police, as well as comments from Suella Braverman reported in the media.