Woman wins civil case against therapist for rape because he claims his penis is ‘like a laser beam’ to ‘burn away trauma’

According to Janneh, she was raped by Lousada, 57, in August 2016 at his clinic in London’s Belsize Park – paying £750 per session. She told the court she had sought him out professionally after suffering panic attacks as a result of child abuse during consensual sex.

Janneh filed suit against Lousada after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) failed to bring charges.

In documents she attached to her lawsuit, the victim claimed that Lousada told her his penis was “like a laser beam” that could “burn away trauma” and that he should use it to “absorb the trauma.”

Although Lousada claimed that it was a consensual sexual act, Janneh’s attorney Nina Ross said, “The plaintiff argues that she did not consent to the sexual act.” The argument was that at the time of the alleged assault, she “did not have the mental capacity to consent.”

The lawyer continued: “She neither had the freedom to consent due to the power dynamics inherent in a therapeutic relationship, nor did she have all the information she needed to consent because he had not warned her.”

She further stated that Janneh’s attitude towards the incident never changed. From the moment it happened until her day in court, “she viewed the incident as a rape.”

During the proceedings, the court learned that Janneh had visited Lousada in 2011 and 2012 because of the same panic attacks. In both cases, there was no physical contact.

In 2016, however, Janneh returned and was offered “bodywork” that she said was similar to a physical therapy session. According to the lawsuit, the event instead triggered a panic attack that rendered Janneh “incapable of giving valid and informed consent.”

She reported the incident the next day. According to the BBC, no charges were ever brought against Lousada and the case was dropped in May 2018. Janneh said she felt “completely betrayed” by the police and child welfare services.

Lousada, in turn, continued to claim that this was all part of the therapeutic process.

His own lawyer explained in court that the penile penetration was not about “having sexual intercourse, but rather about fulfilling the plaintiff’s desire to work with penetration,” and said the “body work” was “about the release of energy.”

“The defendant proceeded slowly and carefully with the treatment session. At each stage, he asked for clear, verbal consent to the next proposed step,” argued Lousada’s attorney, Boyd, who went on to say that while his actions “did not conform to societal norms,” ​​it was a “legitimate activity” within the scope of his profession. His attorneys argued that he had previously used this penetration technique on “30 to 40” other clients.

Judge Jeremy Baker, who presided over the case, said in his final judgment in Janneh’s favour that he had “no doubt” that she had experienced a “full-blown dissociative panic attack” and was therefore “totally incapable” of consenting to anything. He called her evidence “extremely strong”.

Regarding Lousada, Baker said: “After listening carefully to the defendant’s testimony in this case, I am convinced that his confidence in his own abilities was so great that his perception of reality was clouded by his self-esteem.”

Because her case was a civil rather than a criminal one, Janneh only had to prove that it was more likely than not that she had not given consent, rather than proving this “beyond a reasonable doubt,” as would have been the case in a criminal case.

Janneh said one of the reasons she decided to give up her anonymity and go public was so she could “encourage other victims to speak their truth, no matter what.”

“After an eight-year battle, I am proud that I was finally able to hold Mike Lousada and what he did to me accountable. But I had to have everything in me to get here,” Janneh said, according to the BBCafter the court ruled in their favor.

“It is deeply unfair that I, Mike Lousada’s victim, had to sacrifice eight years in the hope of stopping him from harming others,” arguing that she “had to do the work of institutions that did not help me.”

Responding to the verdict, a CPS spokeswoman relied on the “beyond reasonable doubt” requirement as the reason for dismissing her case. “After careful consideration of the evidence in this case, we concluded that there was no realistic prospect of conviction – a decision subsequently confirmed by two independent reviews,” she said, adding that she would consider any new information that came to light in the civil case.

“We strive to provide the best service possible and take allegations of rape and sexual assault seriously, so it is concerning when we hear that someone feels let down,” said Commander Kevin Southworth, who is in charge of public protection, according to the BBC. “We have not received any complaints about this investigation but would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further so that we can understand and address any concerns.”