The wife of serial abuser John Smyth has said she feels ashamed for not “standing up” to her husband, despite knowing that he was severely beating teenage boys in their care.

Anne Smyth was married to John until his death in 2018 – which occurred just days after he was summoned to a police station as his crimes began to emerge.

During their marriage, she was aware that he was beating boys in their shed, and gave them cotton wool and nappies for their bleeding wounds.

Anne described her husband’s death as a “relief” in the two-part Channel 4 documentary ‘See No Evil’. 

The couple’s daughter, Fiona, told the programme her mother was his “first victim”.

“I want with all my heart to say I am so sorry; I am ashamed of myself,” Anne said.

In a letter to survivors, she admitted to being “desperately sorry that I wasn’t strong enough to stand up to him and tell him to stop”.