Conversion therapy: Man tells of abuse at Warrington church

Chris Butler says three men held him down and performed an "exorcism" on him at church

A man has told how he was pushed to the floor with a large bible on his head and forced into an "exorcism" as part of gay conversion therapy at a church.

Chris Butler, 55, said he was abused as a young man in Warrington, Cheshire after he confided in church leaders about his sexual orientation.

A consultation on a proposed UK ban on the practice ends on Friday.

Mr Butler said the trauma had led to "many wasted years" of his life and recovery had taken 12 years.

According to NHS England, conversion therapy tries to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity.

'Extremely traumatic'

In practice, it means trying to stop or suppress someone from being gay, or from living as a different gender to their sex recorded at birth.

Mr Butler told BBC North West Tonight the abuse began when he was 19 after he had told church leaders he was gay.

He said he was then introduced to people who he was told could "change him".

"I was once held down on the vestry floor by three men and with a large lectern bible thrust down on my head which pressed me down into the floor."

He said the men had performed an "exorcism" on him.

"Ultimately, it is abuse upon all levels," Mr Butler said.

• MP warns of conversion therapy loophole

• What is conversion therapy and will it be banned?

• 'Church tried to exorcise my homosexuality'

Some forms of the therapy, which involve sexual or physical violence, are already illegal in the UK.

If approved, the new legislation would ban "talking therapy" for the vulnerable and those aged under 18.

However, adults could still consent to undergo the practice, which the LGBT Foundation have concerns about.

"By its very nature, [the therapy] is coercive, it is manipulative and it is abusive," the Manchester-based charity said.

It said it had seen a "vast majority" of cases where people had suffered an "extremely traumatic" experience.

Manchester-based charity the LGBT Foundation says conversion therapy is "coercive, manipulative and abusive"

The Evangelical Alliance, which represents 3,500 churches, said it supported the government in the proposed ban but it believed conversion therapy was "not defined well enough".

Peter Lynas from the organisation said everyday church practices such as prayer and pastoral support would "get caught up" in the ban, and it could end up criminalising church leaders.

"We want to make sure that does not happen while protecting those who have suffered harm," Mr Lynas added.

The government said it had "no intention to stop parents, clinicians, teachers or anyone else from having open and explorative conversations with young people or others about their sexual orientation or whether they are transgender or not".

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