CW, Sexual Assault | TLDR: The gender critical charity is facing an "ongoing case" amid a number of complaints, including plans to 'map' Trans+ athletes in the UK, and for its connections to a man who has made gross remarks about child sexual abuse.
The Charity Commission has said it is pursuing an "ongoing case" into Sex Matters, the gender critical charity behind some of the most high-profile legal cases seeking to reduce the rights of Trans+ people in the UK.
The charity is being investigated by the Commission’s regulatory compliance team, and it confirmed in a statement this began "a year ago in response to complaints made in relation to data collection" - Sex Matters
The complaints were sparked by a joint call-out from Sex Matters and For Women Scotland, the groups behind the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman. In a post on X on Oct 1 2024, For Women Scotland said the groups were "undertaking some work to map" Trans+ people "competing in women’s sport in the UK."
The post asked people to provide information on "the teams, leagues, competitions" that were Trans+ inclusive. Sex Matters separately shared a similar request. However, this led to concern that information would be used for a "witch hunt" for Trans+ UK athletes, at both grassroots and professional levels - Trans Safety Network
In response to the news of the ongoing case, Sex Matters said in a statement, it was "confident that we are not unlawfully processing personal data when we undertake research and report on the impact of men in women’s sports."
To justify the activity, the statement set out their approach to "special category data" which requires a higher level of data protection. It set out how Sex Matters received advice that although gender identity could be considered as one of these special categories, sex was not. It also links to a page that shares some of the details they received, which is a list of out Trans+ people playing in sports that misgenders many of them.
How did we learn about Sex Matter's regulatory compliance case?
The revelations followed a complaint to the Charity Commission by Good Law Project’s founder, Jolyon Maugham KC, regarding Sex Matters. It shared concerns about the charity platforming activist Richard Dunstan, who has made claims that he had “secretly enjoyed” a sexual assault as a child.
Dunstan has no formal links to the charity, but is well known to Maya Forstater, the organisation's CEO. In one post in 2022, the charity's X account described him as a "good friend".
Sex Matters said it was unaware of Dunstan's comments prior to the complaint.
Maugham says he has referred Mr Dunstan’s tweet to the police, adding in a statement, "I believe his conduct amounts to an offence under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003."
The Charity Commission said the complaint about Dunstan had been "passed to the Regulatory Compliance team to consider as part of our ongoing case into the charity."
Analysis: A difficult month for Sex Matters
The gender-critical charity, known for its transphobic rhetoric, ended 2025 with a significant loss at the Sandie Peggie trial.
And now it’s started 2026 with damaging press about an ongoing case against it for an activity that was widely viewed as a witch hunt, and at the very least ended up creating a tool that provides anti-trans trolls with an easy list of social media accounts to harass Trans+ athletes.
Charities in the UK face the highest level of scrutiny of any registered businesses, with strict rules governing their operation for public benefit. Rules which have already led to challenges over the LGB Alliance's charitable status. Although a court ruled it had no jurisdiction over the matter, it did find that the charity had "gone beyond the boundaries of civilised debate".
Sex Matters was previously a limited company with minimal oversight or transparency requirements. Alongside this compliance case, other hurdles ahead include greater scrutiny over its accounts and annual report. Which begs the question: has its shift to charitable status left it vulnerable?
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