Matthew Drapper, a 37-year-old gay man, has received a five-figure out-of-court settlement from St Thomas Philadelphia, a Church of England parish in Sheffield, after being subjected to an "exorcism" in 2014 to purge him of his homosexuality. The incident, which left him deeply distressed, was investigated by Barnardo's, which confirmed it was a form of exorcism.
Gay man subjected to ‘exorcism’ at Sheffield church receives compensation
AnglicanismSheffieldLGBTQ+ rightsChristianityReligionUK
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Matthew Drapper, a 37-year-old gay man, has received a five-figure out-of-court settlement from St Thomas Philadelphia, a Church of England parish in Sheffield, after being subjected to an "exorcism" in 2014 to purge him of his homosexuality. The incident, which left him deeply distressed, was investigated by Barnardo's, which confirmed it was a form of exorcism.
Trending- 1 Matthew Drapper was subjected to an 'exorcism' in 2014
- 2 Matthew Drapper left the church in 2016
- 3 Matthew Drapper made a formal complaint in 2019
- 4 St Thomas Philadelphia commissioned Barnardo's to investigate in 2021
- 5 Barnardo's published its review last year (2024)
- 6 Matthew Drapper made a legal claim which resulted in an out-of-court settlement this year (2025)
- Matthew Drapper suffered deep distress and considered suicide.
- The church has paid compensation and apologized.
- The incident highlights issues with safeguarding and practices within some religious institutions.
What: Matthew Drapper, a gay man, received a five-figure out-of-court compensation settlement from St Thomas Philadelphia church after being subjected to an "exorcism" aimed at curing his homosexuality.
When: The "exorcism" occurred in 2014. Drapper left the church in 2016. He made a formal complaint in 2019. Barnardo's was commissioned to investigate in 2021. The charity published its review last year (2024). The legal claim resulted in a settlement this year (2025).
Where: St Thomas Philadelphia, a joint Anglican-Baptist congregation in Sheffield, UK.
Why: Drapper was told by "prayer leaders" at the church that "sexual impurity" had allowed demons to enter his body, leading to the "exorcism." The church's actions were a breach of safeguarding rules and caused Drapper severe distress.
How: Drapper, a volunteer, was invited to an "encounter God weekend" where he was subjected to the "exorcism" by a married couple. He was instructed to "break agreements with Hollywood and the media." After leaving the church, he pursued a formal complaint and later a legal claim, which led to the settlement.