J.K. Rowling facing backlash over controversial rape comments

The author is under fire yet again for commenting on trans issues. Photo / AP

J.K. Rowling has caused controversy once again after wading into the transgender debate.

The author criticised Scottish police for allowing rape suspects to self-identify as female, reported the New York Post.

She took to Twitter to share an article from The Times of London headlined: "'Absurdity' of police logging rapists as women".

"War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. The Penised Individual Who Raped You Is a Woman," Rowling wrote, referencing Newspeak in George Orwell's 1984.

The article stated, "Police Scotland said that they would log rapes as being carried out by a woman if the accused person insists, even if they have not legally changed gender."

But Rowling's fans immediately criticised her "unhealthy" fixation on transgender issues.

"You literally have a castle and you spend your time doing this," one replied on Twitter, while another called her views a "weird hill to die on".

Another pointed out that the Harry Potter author was focusing on the "wrong part of the story" about rape statistics in Scotland.

"The vast majority of sexual assaults are committed by men who don't identify as anything other than men. Perhaps you might consider using your public profile to combat this instead?" they stated.

It comes after Rowling, 56, was accused of transphobia last year after poking fun at an article titled: "Creating a more equal post-Covid-19 world for people who menstruate."

War is Peace.
Freedom is Slavery.
Ignorance is Strength.
The Penised Individual Who Raped You Is a Woman.https://t.co/SyxFnnboM1

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 12, 2021

"People who menstruate," Rowling wrote. "I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?"

She was labelled a TERF (trans exclusionary radical feminist) for insisting "sex is real".

Harry Potter stars Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe criticised her comments. The author has also been left out of an upcoming HBO Max special celebrating the films.

In an interview last December, she said, "Many women are concerned about the challenges to their fundamental rights posed by certain aspects of gender identity ideology."

And some thanked her for having the "courage" to speak up in her latest tweet.

"Thank you for calling out the insanity," one political commentator wrote, while columnist Susan Dalgety wrote, "Thank you. You have no idea how important your voice is, or how much it means to women and girls."