UPDATE: Maltese court clears Matthew Grech of all charges
Matthew Grech, a Maltese Christian convert, has been cleared by a Maltese court following charges related to his participation in an online programme in April 2022. During the interview, Grech shared his personal testimony of leaving a homosexual lifestyle after finding the Christian faith. The case was brought under Malta’s ban on “conversion practices,” but the court concluded that the programme constituted a public discussion and that Grech had merely shared his personal experience about sexual morality.
The Maltese court has found the Christian singer Matthew Grech not guilty of promoting so-called “conversion therapy”, concluding that he had simply shared his personal experience and Christian testimony during a public discussion.
Grech had been charged alongside two presenters of the online programme PM News after appearing in an interview in April 2022 in which he spoke about leaving a homosexual lifestyle after becoming a Christian. The case began after members of the Malta Gay Rights Movement reported the programme to the police. As a result, Grech and the programme’s hosts were prosecuted.
The charges were brought under Malta’s ban on so-called “conversion therapy”, which criminalises the performance and advertisement of practices aimed at changing or suppressing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The vague wording of the legislation led to a lengthy four-year legal battle, with possible penalties of up to five months’ imprisonment and fines between €1,000 and €5,000 (OIDAC reported).
During the court proceedings, Grech clarified that his experience was not the result of therapy but what he described as a spiritual transformation after discovering the Christian faith. He told the court that his testimony reflected a personal journey rather than any attempt to encourage or impose a particular treatment on others. At the same time, he reiterated that he opposes coercive or harmful forms of counselling and supports only approaches that allow individuals to freely explore their experiences.
The presenters of the programme likewise defended their actions, explaining that the broadcast aimed to encourage open discussion on a topic that is often controversial.
In her ruling, Magistrate Monica Vella found that the interview did not constitute the promotion of conversion therapy. Instead, she determined that the programme was intended to host a discussion on a controversial topic and to allow Grech to recount his own experience. “The only intention the presenters of the programme could have had was to provide a platform for discussion on this subject,” the magistrate stated, adding that there was no indication they intended to breach the law.
Magistrate Vella further stressed that public debate on sensitive issues cannot automatically be treated as a criminal offence. The court also noted that Maltese law specifically prohibits forced conversion therapy but does not criminalise discussions and pointed out that the law that bans forced conversion therapy but specifically excludes any service or intervention related to the exploration and free development of a person.
She also warned against interpreting the law in a way that protects one group while silencing others, arguing that such an approach would undermine open debate and could lead to the criminalisation of personal testimonies shared in public forums.
For these reasons, the court concluded that Grech’s participation in the programme represented the sharing of a personal story and that the presenters had merely facilitated a discussion.
The magistrate therefore found Matthew Grech not guilty of all charges.
Supporters of Grech have argued that the case raised serious concerns about freedom of expression and the ability of Christians to share their beliefs and personal experiences without facing legal consequences.
Source: Times of Malta, ChristianToday
Photo: Facebook (Matthew Grech)