Gay man to receive compensation over 'exorcism' at St Thomas Philadelphia Church, Sheffield, claims laywer
A gay man has been given a compensation payout after he was subjected to a ‘gay exorcism’ at a Sheffield church, his lawyer claims.
Matthew Drapper, aged 37, was a volunteer at St Thomas Philadelphia, a joint Anglican-Baptist congregation in Sheffield, in 2014, when he said he was invited to an ‘encounter God weekend’ at the church.
Mr Drapper said he was told ‘sexual impurity’ had allowed demons to enter his body and that an exorcism was to be performed.
He said he was told to ‘break agreements with Hollywood and the media’ that led him into an ungodly lifestyle.
He said he was left deeply distressed after the exorcism, which was conducted by a married couple who were “prayer leaders”. He felt so depressed and “empty” that he considered taking his own life.
His complaints were later upheld in an investigation by the charity Barnardos, which was commissioned to look into the complaint by St Thomas Philadelphia.
When the charity published its review last year, it found it was a “supported fact” that Mr Drapper was subjected to a prayer session that “was in our view a form of exorcism”.
After publication of the review, Mr Drapper made a legal claim against St Thomas Philadelphia which resulted in an out-of-court settlement and payment of a five-figure sum, his lawyer claims.
Mr Drapper told The Star: “It just feels like it’s a really big win, even though it’s a settlement, not a court.
“For me, this feels like an incredible moment, demonstrating that religious organisations can be held responsible for their behaviour towards LGBT+ people and there are steps which can be taken to ensure justice.
“I will continue to advocate for Conversion Therapy and Exorcism Survivors with the launch of the CTES Network website www.ConversionTherapyExorcismSurvivors.co.uk.”
Richard Scorer, head of abuse law at legal firm, Slater and Gordon, said: “As far as I am aware this is the first ever payment of damages in respect of harm caused by conversion or exorcism practices.
“It demonstrates that churches which engage in these abhorrent homophobic practices may face legal claims and damages awards, and I hope it will encourage churches to ban such practices entirely.”
The Star has approached St Thomas Philadelphia and the Diocese of Sheffield for comment.