Matthew Drapper, a gay man who endured a traumatic “exorcism” aimed at changing his sexual orientation, has received a five-figure out-of-court settlement from St. Thomas Philadelphia (STP), an Anglican-Baptist church in Sheffield, England.
This is believed to be the first time a survivor of conversion therapy in the UK has received compensation for the harm they suffered.
In 2014, while volunteering at STP, Drapper, then 27, was encouraged to attend an “Encounter God Weekend.” There, he was told by “prayer leaders” that “sexual impurity” had allowed demons to enter his body. What followed was an exorcism intended to rid him of his homosexuality.
“Looking back, it seems like something out of a horror movie — for someone to be standing over you saying they can see the demons leaving your body is quite terrifying,” Drapper shared with The Times. “But when you are deeply tied into the church, as I was at that time, it is easy to believe anything they tell you.”
The experience left Drapper deeply depressed, leading to suicidal thoughts. He eventually left the church in 2016 after allegedly being forced to step down from a leadership role for considering dating as a gay man.
In 2019, Drapper filed a formal complaint, seeking an apology from St. Thomas Philadelphia. Initially, the church denied his claims, stating there was “no evidence to substantiate” them. However, in 2022, facing mounting pressure, the church commissioned Barnardo’s, a British children’s charity, to conduct an independent investigation.
In November 2023, Barnardo’s concluded that it was a “supported fact” that the prayer session Drapper underwent was “a form of exorcism… administered with the intention of changing his sexual identity.” Following the report’s publication, St. Thomas Philadelphia issued a statement, acknowledging the findings and expressing regret. “We sincerely apologised to them for this,” the church stated, according to The Guardian.
Armed with the substantiated report, Drapper pursued legal action, which culminated in the five-figure settlement. His lawyer, Richard Scorer, highlighted the significance of the outcome. “As far as I am aware, this is the first ever payment of damages in respect of harm caused by conversion or exorcism practices,” Scorer told The Times. “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.”
Despite repeated promises since 2018, the UK government has yet to implement a ban on conversion therapy. LGBTQ+ organizations, including the Ban Conversion Therapy Coalition, continue to condemn the delay, urging the government to act swiftly.
Meanwhile, Drapper is now collaborating with other conversion therapy survivors to launch a website, encouraging more individuals to share their stories. “You imagine this kind of practice to be outdated, but it has been revived in recent decades and is often referred to as ‘power healing,’” he explained. “I know around 20 people who have been through it, but I suspected there are many, many more.”
