Transgender Woman Avoids Prison After Sexual Assault Conviction
A transgender woman who sexually assaulted a male hotel worker after requesting his assistance with moving boxes has been spared immediate jail time, despite making a dramatic plea in court to be sent to prison.
Chandi Shende, 45, groped the victim's private parts over his clothing when he agreed to help carry items, including an ironing board, into her hotel room last summer. The incident occurred on June 14, 2025, after Shende had become a resident guest at the hotel in Liverpool.
Victim's Trauma and Lasting Impact
The victim, whose identity has been protected, fled the scene and later reported being left traumatised by the assault. In a statement to police, he described significant psychological distress, including feelings of withdrawal, isolation, and anxiety.
'I now am fearful walking down the street. It has been hard to eat and sleep, to the point that I've lost weight,' he said. 'I question if there was anything I should have done to stop it from happening. I became angry with myself.'
The court heard that the victim felt 'dirty' and struggled with showering properly after the attack. His relationship was affected, and he developed an aversion to being touched. He was forced to take time off work, resulting in lost wages and income.
Court Proceedings and Sentence
At Liverpool Magistrates Court, Shende denied sexual assault but was convicted following a trial. She was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete:
- 25 days of rehabilitation activity
- 150 hours of unpaid work
Additionally, Shende will be on the Sex Offenders' Register for seven years and was issued a two-year restraining order prohibiting contact with the victim. She was also made to pay costs of £650 and a victim surcharge of £154.
Shende's Background and Courtroom Plea
Inquiries revealed that Shende, who was born male and is from Liverpool, had a previous conviction from 2023 for making, possessing, and distributing indecent images of children. She had also engaged in 'lewd chats' with men over WhatsApp, citing 'gender identity issues' as a factor in her offending.
During sentencing, Shende made an unexpected plea, stating: 'I sometimes wonder whether going to prison is better. It keeps me away from interacting with the world. When I interact with the world it gets difficult for me to manage my mental health.'
She added: 'I know that my lawyer would say that what I am trying to say is crazy. I have got better and better but it just takes so much hard work on my behalf to work on my crazy mind.'
Prosecution and Defence Arguments
Mark Baker, prosecuting, detailed the incident: 'The victim works at the hotel and the defendant asked him if he could help move some boxes in the room. The victim agreed but a short time afterwards while moving an ironing board she touched the victim's penis over clothing. The victim pushed her hand away, felt uncomfortable, and described that to the defendant at the time. He quickly left the room and told a manager.'
Shende's solicitor, Heather Crossthwaite, argued that Shende did not accept there was touching, describing it as a misunderstanding in pursuing a relationship. 'It is clear from the report the background and why this may have happened. She has had a difficult time in the past, a difficult upbringing and gender identity issues to a considerable degree,' Crossthwaite said.
She also highlighted Shende's positive attributes: 'But she has a lot to offer. She is educated and she's hard working. She volunteers at a community cafe. She really wants to help other people but she understands entirely that she has to address the issues that she has first.'
Judicial Warning and Additional Orders
JP Raymond Moore issued a stern warning to Shende, emphasizing the consequences of breaching any part of her sentence: 'If you breach the suspended sentence order, you will go to prison, if you breach the sexual harm prevention order you will go to prison. If you breach the unpaid work order you will go to prison. If you breach the community order you will go to prison. If you breach the restraining order you will go to prison. There are so many ways you could go to prison.'
Shende was also given a ten-year sexual harm prevention order related to her previous indecent images offences, further restricting her activities and monitoring her behavior.
