A sex offender in Québec who began identifying as a woman after being convicted of sexual assault with a weapon has engaged in genital self-mutilation on the eve of being sentenced, reportedly as a way to avoid being sent to a men’s prison.

According to La Presse, Jody Matthew Burke, who now goes by the name of Amber, caused the self-inflicted wounds and was rushed to hospital late Tuesday night. Burke’s lawyer, Veronique Talbot, confirmed that her client had undergone urgent surgery upon arrival at the hospital but did not give further details.

During the scheduled court hearing on Wednesday morning, Talbot offered to give Judge Jacques Gagné details in private, but the judge declined, instead expressing interest in when he could hand down Burke’s sentence.