Prominent TV sex therapist who regressed patient to childlike state loses civil case for rape

The patient of a prominent television sex therapist has won a lawsuit in which she was accused of him raping and sexually abusing her during a session.

Ella Janneh, 37, was awarded more than £200,000 in damages after filing a lawsuit against Mike Lousada – a well-known sex coach who has appeared on shows such as This Morning, in articles for major press agencies and in a video series on Durex’s YouTube channel.

Ms Janneh alleged in her civil claim that Lousada raped and sexually abused her on 18 August 2016 at his Belsize Park clinic during a therapy session to treat panic attacks she experienced during consensual sex. Ms Janneh, who waived her right to anonymity, was a victim of sexual abuse as a child.

The incident was reported to the Metropolitan Police the next day, but in May 2018 the Crown Prosecution Service informed Ms Janneh that it would not prosecute her.

Ms Janneh, represented by the law firm Leigh Day, filed a civil suit and a trial took place over ten days in April and May this year.

In a court testimony, Ms Jannah said that during the session, Lousada instructed her to act like a child, which triggered a “full-blown panic attack” and dissociation. Lousada then penetrated her and committed multiple sexual assaults.

He is said to have told her: “I think we should use my penis energetically to absorb the trauma. The glans can act like a laser beam and burn away the trauma.”

Lousada claimed she consented to the penetration, which Ms Jannah denied, and he did not instruct her to behave like a child.

In a ruling on Wednesday, Judge Jeremy Baker said he had no doubt that Lousada had instructed Ms Jannah to return to her childlike state before touching her. He said this had caused a dissociated state so that when Lousada suggested he penetrate her vagina with his penis, she had been unable to consent.

The judgment states: “I have no doubt that in the last part of the session the defendant instructed the plaintiff to return to her childhood state as an abused child. He then touched her in various ways, including kissing and caressing her body, which caused her to dissociate.”

Judge Barker said he had “no doubt” that Ms Jannah’s statements during her police interviews in 2016 were a “truthful account of events”.

He said: “I consider that compensation of £105,000 is justified in this case.”

According to the ruling, Lousada founded a voluntary professional organization called the Association of Somatic and Integrative Sexologists (ASIS) in 2013 to create ethical principles for those who perform what he called “psychosexual somatic therapy.”

Judge Baker found that Lousada, who is still permitted to practice his profession, had failed to inform his clients that he was not complying with these regulations.

He added: “Having listened 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.”

In a civil case, the plaintiff must meet lower standards of proof than in a criminal case. In a civil case, the plaintiff must prove his case “according to the standard of probabilities” rather than “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Following the verdict, Catriona Rubens, for Leigh Day, said: “This verdict is a resounding victory for my client Ella Janneh, who has fought tirelessly to obtain justice for the rape and sexual abuse by Mr Lousada in the name of ‘therapy’.

“Now serious questions must be asked of the system: the police, the child welfare service and the fact that therapists like Mike Lousada can operate outside any kind of regulatory or ethical framework.

“It cannot be left to survivors like Ella, who must bring individual civil lawsuits at enormous personal sacrifice, to bring sexual violence and abuse of power to light.”

Following the court ruling, Lousada said in a statement: “I have told both the police and the court what happened that day and you will understand that I am very disappointed that my evidence was rejected.

“I no longer engage in this type of work and have not done so since the incident in question. I wanted to help Ms Janneh and never intended to harm her. I have always regretted the outcome and the impact on her and wish her well for the future.”

Reckitt, owner of Durex, was contacted for comment.