The Olot prison guard, Joan Vila Dilmé, began his transition process to a woman more than a year ago inside the Puig de les Basses prison (Figueres), where he is serving a 127-year sentence for murdering 11 elderly people he cared for at the La Caritat residence in Olot. Vila Dilmé has chosen the name Aura, and for months he has already communicated his new gender to his prison environment. For some time now, Aura has been in the women’s module of the Figueres prison, according to prison sources. His change does not imply any type of benefit regarding the sentence he is serving, with no permissions granted since his admission in 2010.
The decision of Vila Dilmé was made months ago, with the support of the center’s psychologists and feminist organizations. But already during the investigation and trial of the crimes committed by Vila Dilmé at the residence where he worked, he expressed that he was a woman trapped in a man’s body. He even presented an expert report claiming suffering due to that situation.
Already in prison, Vila Dilmé had time to continue therapy and delve into his feelings and will. Until he reached the firm decision to transition. The intention is to undergo surgery through public healthcare to achieve a complete transformation, according to sources familiar with the process. Vila Dilmé has already changed his appearance: he wears his hair longer and has also changed his way of dressing, according to those same sources.
At the beginning of the process, Vila Dilmé was moved to a smaller module to gradually communicate his new identity. Finally, the process culminated with Aura’s transfer to a women’s module.
The Catalonia Department of Justice has declined to provide any information about the process. But it recalls that this is not a unique case in Catalan prisons. It recalls that there is a regulation for this type of situation, and that specialized teams accompany and advise inmates.
The administration acts in this case as a liaison with health services when the inmate wishes to undergo surgery. And it is the Department of Health that evaluates and manages community actions. Regarding the module to which these people are assigned, it also points out that it must correspond to the sex with which they identify.
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