Church Apologizes for Failing to Stop Abuser in South Africa

The Anglican Church of Southern Africa (Acsa) has issued an apology for its failure to protect the public from the risk posed by British child abuser John Smyth, who moved to South Africa in 2001.

Smyth, a senior barrister, abused over 100 children and young men in the UK and Zimbabwe during the 1970s and 1980s, many of whom he met through Christian camps he organized. Despite an independent review in 2013 raising concerns about his past, church leaders, including Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, failed to formally report Smyth to authorities in the UK and South Africa.

Smyth’s move to South Africa followed investigations into his activities in Zimbabwe. He joined an Anglican community in Durban, where he occasionally preached and interacted with young children. The church confronted Smyth in 2003 or 2004 after becoming aware of his abusive behavior, prompting the family’s move to Cape Town. In 2013, the Diocese of Ely in the UK sent a warning to Acsa about Smyth’s conduct, but church leaders failed to take further action.

The investigation concluded that while there were no recorded cases of abuse in South Africa, there was a significant risk of Smyth continuing his abusive behavior. Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, acknowledging the Church’s failure, vowed to implement urgent measures to ensure the safety of the community and prevent such incidents in the future.

This scandal has led to a reevaluation of the Church’s handling of allegations and its responsibility to protect vulnerable individuals within its congregations.

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