Church of England admits 'appalling' and 'horrific' abuse by evangelical barrister John Smyth Abuse

“His victims were subjected to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks,” says the review, led by Keith Makin, an expert in safeguarding. “The impact of that abuse is impossible to overstate and has permanently marked the lives of his victims. John Smyth’s own family are victims of his abuse.”

The report admits that John Smyth’s activities, which included vicious and repeated canings in his garden shed of boys and young men recruited at schools including Winchester College and elite evangelical summer camps, were identified in the 1980s. The number of victims in Africa is estimated at around 85 to 100 male children aged 13 to 17. Victims were left dripping with blood and some had to wear nappies for days before the bleeding stopped. “Despite considerable efforts by individuals to bring to the attention of relevant authorities the scope and horror of Smyth’s conduct, including by victims and by some clergy, the steps taken by the Church of England and other organisations and individuals were ineffective and neither fully exposed nor prevented further abuse by him,” the review says.

“His victims experienced a tragic range of abuse including physical, sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse, his actions reaching into the realms of ritual abuse at times. A child, Guide Nyachuru, died in suspicious circumstances at one of Smyth’s camps in Zimbabwe. Smyth’s abuse was coercive and controlling, and he groomed all his victims to differing extents. The abuse has left lasting and irreparable scars for very many people, those directly affected as well as their families, friends and others.”

Of one report as far back as 1982, by Revd Mark Ruston, the review damningly states that the recipients of that report participated in “an active cover-up to prevent that report and its findings — including that crimes had been committed — coming to light. There is no excuse or good explanation that justifies that decision. Different — and we strongly suspect better, for subsequent victims — outcomes would have followed had appropriate reports to the police and other statutory authorities been made then.”

Between 1984 and 2001, John Smyth relocated to Zimbabwe and subsequently South Africa where he died in 2018 aged 75, while under investigation by Hampshire police. During this time, Church officers knew of the abuse and failed to take the steps, necessary to prevent further abuse occurring, the report says.

“The Church’s reaction to the expose of John Smyth’s abuse by Channel 4 in February 2017 was poor in terms of speed, professionalism, intensity and curiosity. The needs of the victims were not at the forefront in terms of thinking and planning; the response was not trauma-informed.”

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who attended some Iwerne summer camps where Smyth was a leader in the 1970s, is named in the review which says: “Sometime during 1978, Justin Welby was overheard by a contributor to this Review, having a ‘grave’ conversation with Mark Ruston, about John Smyth, whilst lodging with him. Justin Welby has advised reviewers that he does not recall this conversation and explains he was not aware of the actions of John Smyth at this time which later came to light. He advises that he shared accommodation with Mark Ruston at this time and would have had many conversations particularly as this was in the period following his father’s death.”

The report notes that Welby and Smyth “exchanged Christmas cards” for several years, including during the time when Smyth was living in Zimbabwe. Welby also recalled “making donations” to John Smyth to help with his ministry in Zimbabwe. These were donations to the Zambesi Trust, which he described as within the context of making many other, small, personal payments to charities and missions.

The report also notes that during the period that followed the airing of the Channel 4 programmes, early promises made by Welby to meet with the victims were not honoured for another four years, an experience described by the victims as “re-traumatising”.

The review states: “Several victims have told us that they feel a sense of personal betrayal by Justin Welby. They say that he was closely connected with them through the Iwerne and other networks and that he knows some of them personally. He represents more than a remote figure to them.”

In a statement posted today on his website at Lambeth Palace, Archbishop Welby said: “The pain experienced by the victims in this case is unimaginable. They have lived with the trauma inflicted by John Smyth’s horrendous abuse for more than 40 years, both here in the UK and in Southern Africa, particularly Zimbabwe.

“I recognise the courage of those victims, including those related to John Smyth, who have come forward and relived their trauma through contributing to this review. I know their willingness to share their painful testimonies will come at great personal cost.

“I am deeply sorry that this abuse happened. I am so sorry that in places where these young men, and boys, should have felt safe and where they should have experienced god’s love for them, they were subjected to physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse. I am sorry that concealment by many people who were fully aware of the abuse over many years meant that John Smyth was able to abuse overseas and died before he ever faced justice. The report rightly condemns that behaviour.”

He says he had no idea or suspicion of this abuse before 2013.

“Nevertheless the review is clear that I personally failed to ensure that after disclosure in 2013 the awful tragedy was energetically investigated. Since that time the way in which the Church of England engages with victims and survivors has changed beyond recognition. Checks and balances introduced seek to ensure that the same could not happen today.

“I repeat my apology contained in the review, that I did not meet quickly with victims after the full horror of the abuse was revealed by Channel 4 in 2017. As the report says, no Archbishop can meet with everyone but I promised to see them and failed until 2020. This was wrong. I am grateful to those like Bishop Peter Hancock and others who did meet with them, as said in the report. We now have a network of listeners and pastoral supporters to act.

“John Smyth’s abuse manipulated Christian truth to justify his evil acts, whilst exploiting and abusing the power entrusted to him. In the last 11 years much has been learned. This long-delayed report shows another, very important step on the way to a safer church, here and round the world.

“That does not reverse the terrible abuse suffered but I hope that it can be at least of some comfort to victims. I can only end by thanking them again for their courage and persistence and again by apologising profoundly, not only for my own failures and omissions but for the wickedness, concealment and abuse by the church more widely, as set out in the report.”

Makin said: “The abuse at the hands of John Smyth was prolific and abhorrent. Words cannot adequately describe the horror of what transpired.

“Many of the victims who took the brave decision to speak to us about what they experienced have carried this abuse silently for more than 40 years.

“Despite the efforts of some individuals to bring the abuse to the attention of authorities, the responses by the Church of England and others were wholly ineffective and amounted to a cover-up.

“The Church and its associated organisations must learn from this review and implement robust safeguarding procedures across their organisations that are governed independently.

“This has been a long process but a necessary one to uncover the extent of John Smyth’s despicable behaviour and how the Church reacted to it.

“I would like to sincerely thank the victims for their courage, grace and dignity and I would like to remind everyone reporting on this review about their right to anonymity and privacy.”

The Church of England’s lead safeguarding bishop, Joanne Grenfell, and the National Director of Safeguarding, Alexander Kubeyinje, said: “We are deeply sorry for the horrific abuse inflicted by the late John Smyth and its lifelong effects, already spanning more than 40 years.

“The review concludes that Smyth is arguably the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church of England. We know that no words can undo the damage done to people’s lives both by him and by the failure of individuals in the Church and other institutions to respond well. We are also aware that the time the review has taken, which the reviewer addresses, as well as the details now in the public domain have been retraumatising for survivors.

“We highlight the comment in the review from a deceased cleric (David Fletcher) who was aware in the 1980s, along with others, of the extent of the abuse: ‘I thought it would do the work of God immense damage if this were public’.

“We are appalled that any clergy person could believe that covering up abuse was justified in the name of the Gospel, which is about proclaiming Good News to the poor and healing the broken hearted. It was wrong for a seemingly privileged group from an elite background to decide that the needs of victims should be set aside, and that Smyth’s abuse should not therefore be brought to light.

“Every member of the Church is responsible for a culture in which victims are heard, responded to well, and put first: there is never a place for covering up abuse.”

END

Church of England admits ‘appalling’ and ‘horrific’ abuse by evangelical barrister John Smyth Abuse
Religion Media Centre YouTube screenshot

By Ruth Gledhill
THE TABLET
November 7, 2024

Andrew Graystone, in his book ‘Bleeding for Jesus: John Smyth and the Cult of Iwerne Camps’, tells the story of how Smyth, a Queen’s Counsel, used the military-style Christian camps to recruit public schoolboys for abuse.

A child, Guide Nyachuru, died in suspicious circumstances at one of Smyth’s camps in Zimbabwe. Andrew Graystone, pictured, is among those who have fearlessly looked into the abuse over many years.

The late John Smyth QC, a “moral crusader” who abused his position of influence in the Church of England to subject dozens of children and young men to violent and emotional trauma, was “an appalling abuser” whose abuse was “prolific, brutal and horrific”, according to a long-awaited independent review, published today.