Channel 4 News complaint made by gay ‘cure’ Christian therapist Lesley Pilkington rejected by Ofcom
Ofcom has rejected a complaint made by a Christian therapist who was revealed to be offering gay conversion therapy in a Channel 4 investigation.
Lesley Pilkington had complained to the media regulator that she had been subjected to unfair treatment and that her privacy had been breached.
Journalist Patrick Strudwick secretly recorded Mrs Pilkington saying that homosexuality was a “mental illness” and she could help him overcome it.
He had approached her claiming to be a Christian who wanted to become straight.
Mr Strudwick, who won several awards for his expose, was also told by Mrs Pilkington that he must have been sexually abused as a child by a member of his family.
Channel 4 News broadcast a story about Mrs Pilkington’s failure to overturn the BACP suspension on 22 May 2012.
She and Mr Strudwick were both interviewed on the programme.
Mrs Pilkington subsequently made a complaint to Ofcom stating that she had been subjected to unfair treatment.
However, on Monday, in its ruling, Ofcom said: “The programme makers took reasonable steps to ensure that the news report was fair to Mrs Pilkington and, in doing so, accurately presented the findings made by BACP in its appeal decision against Mrs Pilkington and the therapy session which she had with Mr Strudwick.”
Ofcom also ruled: “It was not necessary to tell Mrs Pilkington that there would be a reconstruction of the therapy session included in the programme in order to obtain her informed consent.”
Mr Strudwick said to PinkNews.co.uk: “I’m delighted that Ofcom has come to this decision. This isn’t just a victory for investigative journalism but for gay people and indeed for the wellbeing of wider society. The way gay people are treated needs to be seen and heard and exposed if were are ever to be truly free and equal.”
