Gay conversion therapist in Israel convicted of molesting boys he was treating
Reuven Welcher allegedly manipulated two boys into believing indecent acts were part of the treatment
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
A so-called gay conversion therapist has been convicted of molesting boys he was treating.
Reuven Welcher ran a conversion therapy centre in Israel and manipulated two boys into believing indecent acts he would perform on them was all part of the treatment, the Times of Israel reported.
In 2017, an indictment was filed at the Jerusalem Magistrates Court and stated one of the boys met with the therapist multiple times between 2007 and 2012, including when he was underage.
As part of the so-called treatment, the victim was forced to perform tasks including writing 40 things that would make him a man.
Welcher allegedly would also shout at the boy, humiliate him and threaten to stop the therapy.
Attorney Or Gabbay told the court: “This is an abusive relationship that went on for years, with the sex crimes committed on many occasions during therapy sessions, in hotels and in the clinic in Welcher’s home.”
Welcher confessed to the charges as part of a plea deal and the prosecution team will ask the court to sentence him to community service rather than prison.
The disgraced therapist will undergo assessments to determine whether he is a danger to the public.