A disturbing chapter in the Church of England’s recent history is back in the public eye, with fresh scrutiny falling on Archbishop Justin Welby following the release of a long-delayed report by investigator Keith Makin. The report highlights how John Smyth, a former Queen’s Counsel lawyer and influential figure within a Church-aligned evangelical movement, repeatedly abused more than 130 young boys and adolescents under the guise of Christian mentorship at Iwerne Trust camps, events attended by elite students from the UK’s top public schools.
Smyth’s abuse spanned years, concealed behind the closed doors of a soundproofed shed and veiled by a culture of secrecy. Despite initial warnings in 1984, he moved to Zimbabwe, where he continued his “camp” practices, leading to the tragic death of a young boy, Guide Nyachuru, in 1992. When Smyth faced renewed scrutiny and arrest in Zimbabwe, he fled to South Africa, where he lived unpunished until his death.
The Makin report’s release, over a decade in the making, revealed a web of delayed responses and inadequate resources from the Church of England, a fact that has deeply angered victims. “Justice delayed is justice denied,” victims expressed, grieving the years it took to acknowledge their suffering. They pointed directly to Welby’s office as the root cause of this delay, emphasizing that the Church’s hesitation only intensified their anguish.
In a particularly controversial twist, Archbishop Welby, who had once been co-nnected to the Iwerne Trust camp as a youth leader, is now implicated for alleged failures to act despite having received a briefing on the extent of Smyth’s abuses in 2013. His response to these revelations has been seen as inadequate by both victims and clergy alike. In interviews, Welby acknowledged “incompetence” but denied any deliberate cover-up, a sentiment that has left many victims unsatisfied.