Victims who were abused by the late barrister John Smyth in Zimbabwe are taking legal action against the Church of England.
According to Channel 4 News, the Law firm Leigh Day has made a claim against St Andrew the Great in Cambridge which was previously known as the "round church". In 1982, its vicar, Mark Ruston, compiled a report which gave a detailed account of abuse being perpetrated by Smyth. But no action was taken, and Smyth was allowed to relocate to Zimbabwe two years later.
An independent review into Smyth’s abuse was published in November 2024. It described him as the Church of England’s most serial abuser after he was found to have abused more than 100 boys and young men, many of whom he had met at Christian Summer camps. He died in 2018 before he could face justice.
Sixteen-year-old Guide Nyachuru died at one of Smyth’s Christian camps in Zimbabwe in 1992. His sister Edith has now joined forces with seven other Zimbabwean victims to demand compensation from the Church of England.
Another victim, Rocky Leanders, told Channel 4 News that the “emotional toll” on victims is “now significant” and that he had lost trust in religion and humanity because “people who were in a position of trust have abused that trust”.
A Church of England spokesperson said: “We are truly sorry for the horrendous abuse carried out by John Smyth and the lifelong effects on survivors, both here and in Africa. The Church in South Africa has already carried out its own review. We have been in contact with the Church in Zimbabwe and offered to support and contribute financially to any review that it might choose to undertake”.
A spokesperson for St Andrew the Great Church in Cambridge said: “We are full of sorrow about the horrendous abuse carried out by John Smyth which has had lifelong effects on survivors, both here and in Africa, and that he was not stopped sooner.
“While we are unable to comment on the specifics of this claim, we take the safety and wellbeing of our congregation, staff and volunteers extremely seriously and follow Church of England’s Safeguarding Policy and Practice Guidance designed to protect vulnerable people.
“If anyone has been affected by this issue and wants to talk to someone independently, please call the Safe Spaces helpline on 0300 303 1056 or visit safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk. Further support is also available via contacts on our safeguarding webpage.”