Notorious serial killer in Spain transfers to women’s prison after identifying as female

A Spanish serial killer who murdered eleven elderly people has been moved to the women’s wing of a prison after identifying as female.

Joan Vila Dilmé, who now wants to be known as Aída or Aura, was sentenced to 127 years in jail for torturing and poisoning residents at the care home where he worked in Olot, Girona. At first, he overdosed patients with insulin or administered lethal drugs, but his last three victims were forced to ingest corrosive substances such as bleach.

The 60-year-old has now reportedly changed his appearance and intends to undergo sex-swap surgery, which could cost Spain’s healthcare system up to 80,000 euros.

Outrage

Before his conviction, two psychologists claimed that he had felt like “a woman trapped in a man’s body”.

But according to the Public Mirror: “The transfer and the start of the legal process have generated a strong social reaction, especially among the town’s residents, who are outraged at the possibility that the treatment will be financed with public funds.”

Since under Spanish law the maximum time a prisoner is required to serve in jail  is 40 years, Vila — who was sentenced for his crimes in 2013 — could be released from Puig de les Basses prison in 2053.

Scotland

Earlier this year, a hearing took place on For Women Scotland’s judicial review of the Scottish Government’s policy on housing prisoners who identify as members of the opposite sex.

Since February 2024, according to Scottish Prison Service guidance, a man who holds a Gender Recognition Certificate has been eligible for admission or transfer to a women’s prison unless they have a record of “violence against a female”.

But Aidan O’Neill KC told the Court of Session that the policy is rooted in an “ideological position”, which runs counter to the Supreme Court ruling on biological sex.