A consultant for Northern Ireland charity Core Issues has been found not guilty in Malta of offences related to conversion therapy. Matthew Grech, a Maltese national working full-time for the Christian organisation that provides counselling on sexual identity, faced charges after a 2022 radio interview where he described his shift from homosexual to heterosexual orientation.

Magistrate Monica Vella ruled this week that Maltese law bans enforced conversion therapy but permits voluntary talking therapy. She stated the law covers all individuals regardless of gender identity and excludes services aiding personal exploration toward comfortable sexual orientation. The court found no crime in rational discussions on any subject, acquitting Grech and two radio journalists.

Grech described his experience as spiritual rather than therapeutic and supported talk therapy while opposing forced approaches. After the verdict, he said the three-year prosecution with 17 hearings imposed emotional, reputational, and financial burdens and violated his constitutional trial rights.

Dr Mike Davidson, CEO of Core Issues in Co Down, welcomed the ruling for affirming the right to discuss personal experiences without criminal fear. The case marks the first such prosecution in the EU, following Malta's ban on conversion therapy, which influenced legislation in the UK and Australia.