Ella Janneh has expressed her relief and joy after being awarded £217,000 in damages following an eight-year legal battle, during which sexual assault charges were not prosecuted and two appeals to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) were dismissed.
Janneh's struggle culminated in a civil case victory against TV sex therapist Michael Lousada, whom she accused of raping her. Reflecting on her ordeal, Janneh told the Guardian, “I don’t think anybody chooses to make the most humiliating experience of their life something to be publicly known for. But this shame is not ours, and I want to make this easier for the next person to speak out.”
Despite reporting the alleged rape to the police the day after it occurred, her case was not prosecuted. Her appeals to the CPS were dismissed, and she was denied criminal injuries compensation because the police deemed her "not a credible witness."
“First and foremost I wanted justice,” said Janneh, now 37. “I wanted to be able to share this story with the world.”
Janneh began seeing Lousada in 2011, seeking help for trauma stemming from childhood sexual abuse, which left her depressed and prone to panic attacks during sexual activity.
“I really did not understand what was happening to me and it was really overwhelming. I experienced a lot of shame and embarrassment about it. I felt like I needed to get help,” she said.
After reading an article about Lousada in the Metro newspaper, Janneh, who had previously undergone traditional talking therapy, felt hopeful about the future and decided to book another session with him, believing he was a leading expert in trauma.
However, during the session, after 30 minutes of talking, Janneh alleged that Lousada took her to a room with a bed, where the assault occurred. In court documents, Janneh stated that Lousada claimed his penis was “like a laser beam” that could “burn up trauma” and “absorb the trauma.” The court found that Lousada had instructed Janneh to regress into her childhood self during the session.
Janneh suffered a panic attack, leaving her unable to communicate and "incapable of providing valid and informed consent." Lousada admitted penetration occurred but claimed he received "clear verbal consent," a claim the judge rejected, finding that Janneh had suffered a "full-blown dissociative panic attack" and "entirely lacked capacity" to consent.
After the incident, Janneh was overwhelmed with humiliation and distress. She phoned a friend but was unable to discuss what had happened. She reported the assault to the police the next day, but the case was not prosecuted by the CPS.
“I absolutely did not feel like justice was done,” Janneh said. “I just couldn’t understand how this was allowed to continue, and I just couldn’t sit with the fact that this was allowed to continue. I had wanted to die. That’s how bad I felt, that’s how destroyed I was. I’ve gone into a space that is supposed to be therapeutic and the whole thing was turned on its head.”
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