Under-fire trans charity Mermaids ‘advises 16-year-olds on how to change their names without parents’ knowledge’

• The group has partnered with Latham & Watkins LLP to offer advice to teenagers
• An online clinic operates quarterly where teenagers can ‘attend on your own’
• Comes as investigation found staff from trans charity sent out chest binders
• The Charity Commission has said it will ‘assess’ concerns raised about Mermaids 

An under-fire transgender children’s charity is reportedly giving advice to 16-year-olds on how to change their names without their parents’ knowledge.

The Charity Commission has confirmed they are ‘assessing’ concerns raised about Mermaids after they were accused of giving chest-flattening devices to young girls against their parents’ wishes.

It has now emerged the group has partnered with Latham & Watkins LLP, the world’s second largest law firm, to offer advice to 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds on how to legally change their name.

The Telegraph reported that an online clinic operates quarterly where teenagers can ‘attend on your own’ and lawyers ‘answer your questions’. The last clinic was on September 5.

An advert reads: ‘You can also change the title like “Miss”, “Mr” and “Mx” for example. This will allow you to get all your or your child’s documents like passport, bank account, medical records, changed to the new name.’

MailOnline has contacted Latham & Watkins LLP for comment.

The Charity Commission has confirmed they are ‘assessing’ concerns raised about Mermaids after they were accused of giving chest-flattening devices to young girls against their parents’ wishes. Pictured: CEO of Mermaids Susie Green

It comes as Harry Potter author JK Rowling slammed celebrities and organisations who had publicly backed the charity without doing their ‘due diligence’ as other critics called for an official probe into their practices.

Celebrities who have publicly backed Mermaids include the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry Potter star Emma Watson and Jameela Jamil. 

Mermaids staff offered to send a breast binder to a girl they believed was only 14 after being told she was banned from using one by her mother.

According to the investigation by the Daily Telegraph, the charity has been offering binders to children as young as 13 despite their parents saying they oppose the practice.

The newspaper also said the charity’s online help centre tells children who present themselves as young as 13 and 14 that hormone-blocking drugs are safe and ‘totally reversible’ – a claim which is refuted by experts as there is little evidence of the long-term impact of the powerful drugs.

Mermaids, a taxpayer funded group which supports transgender children and their families, runs training for schools and some NHS trusts many of whom are facing calls to sever ties to the organisation.

It comes as Harry Potter author JK Rowling slammed celebrities and organisations who had publicly backed the charity without doing their ‘due diligence’

Breast binding, also known as chest binding, is the act of flattening breasts by the use of constrictive materials. The term also refers to the material used in this act.

The ultra–tight garments can cause ‘horrendous’ health problems including breathing and breastfeeding difficulties, chronic back pain and broken ribs, increasing the chance of a punctured lung.

Meanwhile, the NHS acknowledges a lack of research into the long-term effects of puberty blockers and says it is not known if they ‘affect the development of the teenage brain or children’s bones’.

Campaigners called for regulators to step in and launch an investigation into what they called ‘safeguarding red flags’.

A spokesman for the Charity Commission said: ‘In general, allegations involving vulnerable young people are serious in nature and our guidance is clear – safeguarding should be a core priority for all charities and trustees.

‘We are aware of concerns about Mermaids’ service provision and are assessing the information to determine whether or not this is a matter for the Commission.’

On its website, the regulator says it identifies and assesses risk by focusing on ‘the type and level of harm that may result if the risk materialises’.

Mermaids staff offered to send a breast binder to a girl they believed was only 14 after being told she was banned from using one by her mother (stock image above)

Journalist Sonia Sodha said there were ‘a lot of people in the NHS and Government who should feel deeply ashamed’ of their role in promoting or partnering with Mermaids 

It adds: ‘This includes taking account of the size, profile and activities of the charity concerned.’

Children’s author JK Rowling spoke out about the controversy and asserted that celebrities and organisations who had supported Mermaids should now reflect on that support.

Journalist Sonia Sodha said there were ‘a lot of people in the NHS and Government who should feel deeply ashamed’ of their role in promoting or partnering with Mermaids.

Rowling replied: ‘Not to mention corporations and celebrities who have been cheering Mermaids on without doing the slightest bit of due diligence.’

In 2019, Prince Harry met with Mermaids CEO Susie Green to discuss highlighting their ‘important’ work after the Royal Foundation invited them to join its efforts to tackle mental health issues.

At the time, Green branded the support from the Duke of Sussex as ‘hugely beneficial’.

The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also called Mermaids an ‘important organisation’.

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