This included a strategy "which did not put survivors first"
The CEO of the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre has stood down after a report concluded there were serious failings.
Mridul Wadhwa – a trans woman – resigned after the review said she “did not understand the limits of her authority”.
It also found Ms Wadhwa had failed to “behave professionally”.
The report was commissioned by Rape Crisis Scotland (RCS), Scotland’s lead organisation that works to support survivors and end sexual violence.
In a statement by the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) board, they said the “time was right for a change of leadership”.
It said: “Mridul has stood down from her role as CEO of ERCC. Recruitment of a new CEO will happen in due course.
“We are committed to delivering excellence while taking on board the recommendations from the independent review to ensure we place survivors voices at the heart of our strategy.
“We are in daily communication with Rape Crisis Scotland, have met their urgent demands, and are currently implementing the recommendations in the report.
“We will continue to work alongside RCS to ensure our services not only meet but exceed the National Service Standards.”
The review concluded that the ERCC had experienced several difficulties, including a restructuring of the service during the pandemic and a series of board and trustee changes.
It said some basic systems were not robust which “did not help the organisation manage situations well”.
This included a strategy “which did not put survivors first” and a failure to protect women-only spaces.
The report said: “It should be noted that despite the organisation’s many serious failings, and damage that it has done to some survivors, it still manages to deliver high-quality services to a significant number of people.”
The review was launched after an employment tribunal concluded that ex-ERCC employee Roz Adams had been unfairly dismissed after expressing gender-critical views.
Ms Adams believed those using the service should be able to know the sex of the staff that deal with their case.
The tribunal found Ms Adams had suffered harassment and discrimination.
It concluded that under Ms Wadhwa’s leadership, the ERCC had overseen a “deeply flawed” investigation it described as “somewhat reminiscent of the work of Franz Kafka”.
The tribunal added that Ms Wadhwa was “the invisible hand behind everything that had taken place”.
In its recommendations, the review said the Edinburgh centre should take advice from Rape Crisis Scotland on the definition of “woman” and publicise this within the service.
It said women-only spaces and times “must be protected and clearly publicised”.
Rape Crisis Scotland said:
“The needs of survivors should be listened to and respected when they come to any Rape Crisis Centre.”
“It is important that survivors can make informed choices about the services they access at Rape Crisis Centres, and we recognise that for some survivors this includes the choice of a single-sex service.”
The Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre said it recognised it “got things wrong” and apologised. It said it was committed to implementing the recommendations of the report.
It added: “We want to reassure all survivors who are currently accessing our services and anyone seeking support that we are still here for you, and you matter to us.
“We have information on our services, including our women-only services, on our website.”
Equalities minister Kaukab Stewart said it was unacceptable that rape survivors had been let down. She confirmed the Scottish government continues to fund the Edinburgh centre.
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