JK Rowling has attacked the BBC for using female pronouns in its reporting of a German neo-Naziwho began identifying as a woman.

Marla-Svenja Liebich lost an appeal in the German courts after being jailed for 18 months for incitement to hatred, defamation and insult.

When sentenced at Halle district court, in Saxon-Anhalt, Liebich was known as Sven and identified as a man but later legally changed gender under legislation in Germany that strengthens the rights of trans people.

The BBC reported on Wednesday how controversy had broken out in Germany about whether Liebich should serve a prison sentence in a women’s or a men’s facility. The broadcaster’s report referred to Liebich throughout as “she” and “her”.