John Smyth was a man who lived a double life that sounds like something out of a Victorian horror novel. By day, he was a high-flying QC and a pillar of the conservative evangelical establishment. By night—or rather, in the soundproofed depths of his garden shed in Winchester—he was a predator who subjected teenage boys to some of the most sadistic physical abuse ever documented in a religious context.
The fallout has been nuclear.
Honestly, the Church of England is still reeling. We aren't just talking about one "bad apple." We’re talking about a systemic failure that reached the very top of the British establishment. When Justin Welby resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury in late 2024, it wasn't just a news cycle event; it was the final admission that the church had prioritized its own reputation over the bodies and souls of young men for over forty years.
The Secret Shed and the Iwerne Cult
To understand how John Smyth and the Church of England became so inextricably linked, you have to look at the "Iwerne camps." These were elite summer camps designed to groom the next generation of "muscular Christians" from top-tier public schools like Winchester College. Smyth wasn't just a volunteer; he was a leader. He was the guy parents trusted.
But the 2024 Makin Review painted a much darker picture.
Smyth used a twisted theology to justify what he called "spiritual discipline." He’d take these boys—some as young as 13—to his home and beat them with a garden cane. We aren't talking about a quick thwack on the hand. Victims reported being forced to strip and receiving hundreds of strokes until they bled. Some had to wear nappies to contain the bleeding.
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It's sickening.
What’s even worse is that the "inner ring" of leaders knew something was wrong as early as 1982. A secret report by Mark Ruston confirmed the abuse back then. But instead of calling the police, the "powerful evangelical clergy" basically told Smyth to pack his bags and leave the country. They thought they were "protecting the work of God." In reality, they were just exporting a monster.
A Problem Exported to Africa
When Smyth left England in 1984, he didn't stop. He moved to Zimbabwe and then South Africa. Because the Church of England hadn't warned the authorities, he was able to set up new camps.
The results were tragic.
In 1992, a 16-year-old boy named Guide Nyachuru was found dead in a swimming pool at one of Smyth's camps in Zimbabwe. While a clear link to physical abuse wasn't legally proven at the time, the Makin Review suggests Smyth continued his reign of terror across borders, abusing an estimated 85 to 100 more boys in Africa.
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Think about that. If the UK authorities had been notified in 1982, Guide might still be alive. That's the weight of this cover-up.
Why Justin Welby Had to Go
For a long time, the official line was "we didn't know." But that excuse crumbled. Justin Welby, who had worked at those same Iwerne camps in the 70s, was officially told about the abuse in 2013. He claimed he believed the police had been notified.
They hadn't.
The Makin Review was blunt: if Welby had acted "energetically" in 2013, Smyth might have faced a courtroom before he died in 2018. Instead, Smyth died a free man in Cape Town while under a belated investigation. The "conspiracy of silence," as Welby eventually called it, lasted long enough to rob the survivors of any earthly justice.
The Culture of Deference
You’ve probably wondered how this stayed secret for so long. It’s about the culture. These evangelical circles operated on a "need to know" basis and a deep-seated deference to authority. If a "godly man" like Smyth told you it was for your spiritual good, you believed him. If you were a victim, you felt it was your fault.
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It was a perfect storm of elitism and silence.
The church is now trying to pick up the pieces. They’ve accepted most of the Makin Review's recommendations, including a new "Code of Practice" that makes it a legal duty for clergy to report abuse. They are also facing massive lawsuits from Zimbabwean victims who feel, quite rightly, that they were treated as "third-world" afterthoughts in a British scandal.
Moving Forward: What Now?
If you're following this, the story isn't over. Here is what's actually happening on the ground:
- Disciplinary Action: As of late 2025, the National Safeguarding Team has been pursuing cases against 11 members of the clergy named in the report.
- Independent Oversight: There is a massive push for a fully independent body to handle safeguarding. The days of the church "marking its own homework" are likely over.
- Redress: Compensation and support for the African victims are finally becoming a central part of the conversation, though many survivors say it’s too little, too late.
The legacy of John Smyth and the Church of England is a grim reminder that institutions are only as healthy as their willingness to face the truth. For the survivors, the "truth" came forty years late.
To stay informed or support survivors, you can look into the work of organizations like MACSAS (Minister and Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors) or follow the ongoing updates from the National Safeguarding Team regarding the implementation of the Makin Review recommendations. Awareness of these systemic failures is the first step toward ensuring they don't happen again in the next generation of youth ministry.