Conservative candidate Miriam Cates was member of Sheffield church which endorsed conversion therapy

Conservative candidate Miriam Cates was a member and trustee of a church which was found to have endorsed so-called “gay conversion therapy.”

An independent report has upheld a survivor's complaint that he attended an "exorcism" at St Thomas Philadelphia Church in Sheffield that "attempted to change his sexual orientation".

Ms Cates, Conservative candidate for Penistone and Stocksbridge, was a member of the church between 2003 and 2018, and on the board of trustees between 2016 and 2018.

She has insisted she "does not and has never advocated" the practice.

A report by the Barnado's charity looked at the case of Matt Drapper, who said he attended a "prayer ministry" in 2014.

It said the session "clearly sought to banish demons and spirits" and attempted to "rid him" of his sexuality.

The report said: "The way in which it was conducted is however consistent with what many individuals would describe as a form of exorcism which could fall under the definition of spiritual abuse."

The probe has found his complaint to be substantiated and that there was a “culture” in the church at the time to be “one in which the presence of evil spirits and ‘ungodly soul ties’ were believed to be the cause of homosexual thoughts, feelings and behaviour and prayers of ‘deliverance’ for homosexuals were not uncommon”.

The report said it found evidence of such beliefs and practices still being delivered in November 2019.

A spokesperson for Ms Cates said: “During her time as a trustee, none of these allegations were raised to her knowledge, and no individual raised any such concern with her. If they had she would have taken them very seriously and investigated them.”

It added there is “no suggestion that any of the events” alleged to have taken place occurred while she was on the board of trustees.

It said: “For the avoidance of doubt, Miriam does not and has never advocated what is referred to as ‘gay conversion therapy’.

“She has never participated in such activities, and she was not aware – nor was there any way that she could have been aware – of Mr Drapper’s allegations, which were not, to her knowledge, raised during the time that she was on the leadership of the church, and only surfaced after she left.”

Following her time as trustee until 2018, Ms Cates “moved on to a different church for family reasons”, the statement said.

The Diocese of Sheffield has issued a statement describing conversion therapy as “unethical, potentially harmful” and something which “has no place in the modern world”.

It continued: “We deeply regret that the process has taken so long and understand the frustrations of those who have been affected. We apologise unreservedly to the survivor for the distress this has caused and to anyone else similarly affected by such practices in the past."

Mr Drapper said he had had to “fight for an independent review, against delay, cover-up and a so-called safeguarding culture which resists external oversight”, and had been “deeply traumatised by the length of time it took to reach this outcome”.

Mr Drapper said: “I feel deeply for anyone who has experienced unsanctioned and unsafe exorcism practices.

“I am pleased to hear the apology and am especially glad it was addressed to the countless unnamed others who have been affected by these practices over the years in Network Church Sheffield, and within wider Anglican and Baptist networks.

“I am hopeful this learning can be widely shared and that change is coming.”

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