A Dark Chapter of Medical History Exposed
A harrowing investigation by the BBC has unearthed a deeply disturbing chapter of medical history in the United Kingdom, revealing that at least 250 LGBTQ+ people were subjected to torturous electric shock procedures in National Health Service (NHS) hospitals between 1965 and 1973. Survivors, now in their 70s and 80s, are speaking out about the so-called "Electric Shock Aversion Therapy" (ESAT) they endured as teenagers—a practice designed to "cure" them of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
This wasn't fringe science; it was a state-sanctioned practice. Young people were often referred by trusted figures like teachers, priests, and family doctors, who believed homosexuality and transgender identity were diseases to be eradicated. The trauma inflicted has lasted a lifetime.
Voices of the Survivors
The human cost of this barbaric practice is best understood through the stories of those who lived it. Their accounts paint a chilling picture of fear, pain, and institutional betrayal.
Pauline's Story: "They Made Me Sweat and Flinch"
At 19, Pauline Collier was told by doctors they could "get rid of this thing inside me." At Crumpsall Hospital in Manchester, she was subjected to repeated sessions. "He taped electrodes to my arms and gave me a series of shocks," the 80-year-old recalls. Patients were shown images and then shocked, sometimes immediately, sometimes after a 30-second delay designed to maximize anxiety. "During that waiting period, you become very anxious and very frightened," she said. "I was just so psychologically vulnerable that I just accepted it all."
Jeremy's Story: "Like a Jagged Knife"
Jeremy Gavins, now 72, was only 17 when his school threatened him with expulsion unless he underwent therapy. Referred to a hospital in Bradford, he was strapped to a chair by a nurse who told him the pain was intentional. "He played with a switch, and I got a pain in my arm," Jeremy described. "It's like somebody sticking a jagged knife in the side of your arm and scraping it down." The shocks were so severe that on one occasion he lost consciousness. The experience left him with PTSD, severe depression, and a lifelong fear of relationships.
Carolyn's Story: "Torture, Not Therapy"
Carolyn Mercer, 78, has always known she was female, despite being assigned male at birth. When she confided in a priest at age 17, she was sent to Blackburn Hospital for treatment. "My hand shot up in the air, pain racked through my body, tears rolled down my face," she remembers vividly. "That treatment wasn't any sort of therapy. It was cruel, barbaric punishments—torture, not therapy."
A Medical 'Cottage Industry' of Abuse
While the BBC confirmed over 250 cases, historian Prof Hel Spandler suggests the true number across the UK could be closer to 1,000. She describes the practice as a "cottage industry," where hospitals quietly replicated the method, often without formal records. It was presented as "cutting-edge behavioural science," a twisted application of aversion therapy used for conditions like phobias or addictions. When applied to LGBTQ+ people, however, its only result was profound and lasting harm.
Calls for Accountability and a Ban
The revelations have sparked outrage and calls for a formal apology from the UK government and the NHS, led by Lord Chris Smith, the UK's first openly gay Member of Parliament. "We were supposed to be a civilised country, but this was quite simply inhumane," he stated.
In response to the investigation, the UK government has announced it will investigate the historical use of ESAT. However, the fight is far from over. Incredibly, conversion practices remain legal in the UK today, often taking place in religious or private therapy settings. The government has repeatedly promised a trans-inclusive ban, but has yet to deliver.
Minister for Equalities Olivia Bailey, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, called the practice "inhumane" and abuse. "Such acts have no place in society and must be stopped," she said, reaffirming the government's commitment to a ban.
A Reminder for Our Community in the Netherlands
While this investigation focuses on the UK, it's a stark reminder of how medical institutions once pathologized LGBTQ+ identities across Europe. In the Netherlands, homosexuality was declassified as a mental disorder in 1973, and a motion to explicitly ban conversion therapy was passed by parliament in 2022. Yet, the full implementation of a legal ban is still in progress. These stories from across the North Sea underscore why the fight to protect our community from such harmful practices, both past and present, remains critically important everywhere.
