The Church of England does not know how many children have been subjected to ‘exorcisms’ under its auspices.
Last month, the National Secular Society worked with Labour MP Sam Carling to table a parliamentary question asking how many “rites of deliverance” have been carried out by the CofE in the last ten years and, of those, how many were performed on children.
The Church’s House of Commons representative Marsha de Cordova MP has now responded: “no data or records on numbers or type of deliverance ministry cases are held centrally.”
She added that how deliverance ministry teams operate within dioceses is “the responsibility of each individual diocesan bishop”.
When contacted previously, the dioceses of London, Southwark and Canterbury have not responded to requests for the same information.
A report on church safeguarding last year highlighted how “poor data collection” undermined safeguarding efforts.
“Laying on of hands” and ‘casting out of demons’
CofE ‘deliverance ministry’ guidance allows parents to consent to “formal rites of deliverance” for their children, “including those involving touch”. It may involve the “laying on of hands” or the ‘casting out of demons’.
In the “majority of cases” of 16-17 year olds, the consent of parents does not need to be obtained. Exorcism of adults is also permitted under the guidance.
Medical advice must be sought but there is no explicit requirement to follow it. By contrast, the diocesan bishop must authorise the rite.
The Church has also provided deliverance ministry “training” according to Richard Moy, a vicar at Christ Church W4.
Gay conversion ‘exorcisms’
In 2017, the General Synod voted to support a ban on gay conversion therapy.
However, last month a CofE linked parish paid a five-figure out of court settlement to a man subjected to a gay conversion ‘exorcism’.
Matthew Drapper was told his “sexual impurity” had allowed demons to enter his body.
A 2025 survey found one in ten LGBT people have been subjected to exorcism as a form of gay conversion therapy.
Last year, the National Secular Society referred Christian charity Forward in Faith Church International to the regulator after it described the exorcism of a man possessed by a “homosexual spirit” as a “miracle”.
The Charity Commission refused to take action, telling the NSS there was “no evidence” the charity “was advocating a particular position on homosexuality”.
NSS: ‘CofE should be transparent about number of exorcisms’
National Secular Society human rights lead Dr Alejandro Sanchez said: “Telling a child they are possessed by a demon is psychologically harmful. Victims and survivors of spiritual abuse have said as much.
“Nonetheless, the established church – an arm of the British state – continues to endorse and facilitate the exorcism of children. It should now be transparent about the numbers involved.”
“Preferential treatment for one religious group by the state is misguided in principle. But it is even less justifiable when the Church also promotes harmful practices against children.”