A woman who was sexually assaulted by a therapist during a 'body work' session has been awarded £217,000 in damages. Ella Janneh, 37, brought a civil claim against Michael Lousada, a self-styled psychosexual somatics practitioner, after he penetrated her without consent during a session in August 2016.
The High Court heard that Janneh, a victim of childhood sexual abuse, suffered a panic attack during the session and was incapable of providing informed consent. Lousada claimed the sexual activity was consensual and part of legitimate therapy, but the judge found that Janneh lacked capacity to consent.
Janneh reported the incident to police, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to proceed with a criminal prosecution in 2018. She then launched a civil claim for personal injury and negligence. The civil standard of proof, based on the balance of probabilities, allowed her to succeed where the criminal case had failed.
In his judgment, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker ruled that Lousada's confidence in his own abilities clouded his perception of reality. Janneh developed complex post-traumatic stress disorder after the assault, felt suicidal, and terminated a pregnancy due to her poor mental health.
Speaking after the judgment, Janneh said she was proud of herself but also grieving for the eight-year fight to hold Lousada accountable. She hopes the case sends a message to other survivors of sexual assault.
