Cyprus: Priests accused of exorcisms in LGBTQI people who led them to suicide attempts

Serious complaints about traumatic experiences ΛΟΑΤΚΙ individuals came to the light of publicity in Cyprus during the session of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs, on the subject of the criminalization of conversion therapies.

The complaints involve psychologists and psychotherapists, priests and alternative therapists, who use such methods.

According to the Cypriot site reporter.com.cy, there have been allegations that priests proceeded to exorcise LGBT people, while in some cases, in fact, they allegedly led them to hormone therapy. Testimonies indicate that some people attempted suicide.

Members of the Legal Committee described the complaints as “terrible”, referring to “shameful acts”, which must be immediately examined and decisions made. In fact, according to the same source, the stakeholders stressed the need for a vote on this legislation.

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The Parliament will not allow the Middle Ages in Cyprus, said the chairman of the Legal Committee, Nikos Tornaritis, noting that the discussion will continue during the next meeting of the Legal Committee, when representatives of the Church of Cyprus will be invited.

The representative of the LGBTQI individuals and theologian, Antonis Georgiou, condemned the specific treatments, expressing the hope that they will soon be banned. At the same time, when asked about the complaints from the journalists, he claimed that priests marry homosexuals and during their confession “send them to endocrinologists for hormone therapy”.

AKEL MP, George Koukoumas, who wrote the issue, spoke of “pseudo-conversion therapies” to which LGBT people are subject, noting that it is a “brutal practice”, in order to eliminate their sexual identity. He said that the AKEL law proposal finds a positive response and should be promoted.