The Church of England and Archbishop Justin Welby face intense scrutiny following revelations that it concealed the extensive abuse committed over several decades by barrister John Smyth.
Smyth’s abuse, described as “brutal and prolific”, targeted more than 100 boys and young men at Christian holiday camps in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
An independent review concluded that Smyth’s crimes were systematically covered up by church officials, some of whom allowed him to relocate abroad where he continued his abuse.
“From July 2013 the Church of England knew, at the highest level, about the abuse that took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s” the review states.
The review says that over forty years, John Smyth became “arguably the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church of England”, operating in three different countries and involving “as many as 130 boys and young men”.
The report, led by former social services director Keith Makin, criticised senior church figures, including Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, for failing to act on their knowledge of Smyth’s conduct.
Although Welby volunteered at the camps where Smyth worked, he consistently denied any knowledge of the abuse until 2013, when a survivor’s report made its way to church officials.
However, the review noted that it was “unlikely” that Welby had no knowledge of concerns about Smyth before this date.
Lifelong scars
Smyth’s abuse was severe and wide-ranging. He subjected boys to physical beatings, sexual and psychological abuse and spiritual manipulation which, according to Makin, left lifelong scars on victims.
One of his victims was Andrew Watson, now the bishop of Guildford, who said he was subjected to a “violent, excruciating and shocking” beating.
In total, the abuse spanned multiple countries, with at least 30 known victims in the UK and more than 85 in Zimbabwe and South Africa. In Zimbabwe, Smyth was implicated in the death of a 16-year-old boy, Guide Nyachuru, at one of his camps, although charges were dismissed.
Missed opportunity for justice
The review criticised the C of E for its “ineffective” response, noting the active cover-up of Smyth’s actions in 1982, when the Iwerne Trust, which sponsored the camps, produced a confidential report on his abuse.
The Trust, along with church officials, kept the findings from authorities, allowing Smyth to continue his abuse with impunity.
When Smyth’s actions resurfaced in 2013, church officials including Welby evidently did not report the matter to authorities, a failure the review identified as a missed opportunity for justice.
In a statement, Welby apologised “profoundly” for his failures and those of the Church. “I am sorry for my own omissions and for the broader wickedness, concealment and abuse perpetrated by the church”. However Welby has said he will not resign over the matter.
John Smyth died in 2018, aged 77, before he could face trial over the allegations.
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