Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has revealed she lost her belief in God after being deeply disturbed by the case of Austrian sex offender Josef Fritzl.

In an interview with the BBC, Badenoch said that although she grew up “never that religious,” she once considered herself a Christian apologist who believed in God. But her faith was shaken in 2008 after reading about Fritzl, who imprisoned and repeatedly raped his daughter Elisabeth in a cellar for 24 years.

“I couldn’t stop reading this story,” she said. “I read her account, how she prayed every day to be rescued. And I thought, I was praying for all sorts of stupid things… and I was getting my prayers answered. It’s like, why were those prayers answered and not this woman’s prayers? And it just— it was like someone blew out a candle.”

Despite what she called a rejection of God, Badenoch emphasised that she has not rejected Christianity altogether. “I remain a cultural Christian,” she explained, adding that she values the Christian foundations of British society. “I want to protect certain things because I think the world that we have in the UK is very much built on many Christian values.”

Badenoch’s maternal grandfather was a Methodist minister. Her full interview, where she also discusses leadership, values, and mental health in young people, is set to be broadcast on Thursday evening.

Badenoch has previously spoken up in defence of religious freedom. In 2024, she strongly supported Scottish politician Kate Forbes’ right to express her Christian views on social issues, despite disagreeing with her on same-sex marriage.

“If you’re asking me to condemn someone for their religious views, you’ve misunderstood the role of a Minister for Equality,” she said at the time, praising Forbes’ honesty.

Although not religious herself, Badenoch added: “I understand what it means to people and how they live their lives. Stopping people from saying what they really feel is overly draconian.”