Summary
The Bishop of Chester was investigated by the Cheshire constabulary in November 2003 after he told his local newspaper of research showing that some homosexuals re-orientated to heterosexuality. The police passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service who decided not to prosecute.
Police in England threatened to prosecute the Bishop of Chester over statements about homosexuality. The Church of England Bishop, the Rt Rev Dr Peter Forster, was also personally attacked in the media by Cheshire's Chief Constable.
On Friday 7th November 2003 a local newspaper quoted the Bishop as saying, "Some people who are primarily homosexual can reorientate themselves. I would encourage them to consider that as an option, but I would not set myself up as a medical specialist on the subject - that's in the area of psychiatric health."1 The Bishop's statements reflect Christian teaching and the fact that a significant body of research supports the Bishop's comments that some homosexuals can change and become heterosexual through therapy. Indeed the month before the incident a leading pro-gay psychiatrist in the US published his own study showing that homosexuals can change.2
A complaint was made to the police that the remarks could be considered a 'hate crime'3 and on the following Sunday, Cheshire Police announced they were investigating the matter. The article was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service4 and on the Monday the Chief Constable, Peter Fahy, rebuked the Bishop in an astonishing public attack saying that "All public leaders in Cheshire need to give clear leadership on the issue of diversity".5 He also attempted to link the Bishop's remarks with crimes against homosexuals "generated by hate and prejudice".6
It was not until the Monday evening that the police finally admitted no crime had been committed. A statement issued by Cheshire Constabulary said, "The Crown Prosecution Service has been consulted with at length, and Cheshire Police are satisfied that no criminal offences have been committed, as current public order legislation does not provide specific offences based on sexuality."7
- 1Chester Chronicle, 7 November 2003, see http://iccheshireonline.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/chesterchronicle/
tm_objectid=13600979%26method=full%26siteid=50020-name_page.html as at 16 June 2006 - 2Spitzer, R L, 'Can Some Gay Men and Lesbians Change Their Sexual Orientation? 200 Participants Reporting a Change from Homosexual to Heterosexual Orientation', Archives of Sexual Behaviour, 32 (5), October 2003, pages 403-417
- 3Manchester Evening News, 10 November 2003, see http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/72/72507
_police_to_quiz_gay_row_bishop.html as at 16 June 2006 - 4The Daily Telegraph, 10 November 2003 see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/11/10/nbish10.xml as at 16 June 2006; The Independent, 10 November 2003
- 5The Times, 11 November 2003
- 6See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/3257623.stm as at 16 June 2006
- 7Newsline, see http://www.cheshire.police.uk as at 11 November 2003
