The sister of a boy found dead at a camp run by prolific abuser John Smyth says she blames the Church of England for his death.

Edith Nyachuru’s brother was found dead at the bottom of a swimming pool. Smyth was arrested on suspicion of culpable homicide, but the case was reportedly “shelved”.

She said: "The Church knew about the abuses that John Smyth was doing. They should have stopped him. Had they stopped him, I think my brother would still be alive."

Ms Nyachuru told BBC News that Guide, aged 16, asked his family to go on the Zambesi ministries camp at Ruzari school, after picking up a flyer about it. He was impressed by the range of outdoor activities offered; his family gifted him the trip as an early Christmas present.

But less than a day after being dropped off at Ruzari school, Edith’s parents received a call to say their son was dead.

All the boys had been told to go on a naked swim – a ‘camp tradition’. Guide did not return to his dormitory – which allegedly was not noticed by staff until the following morning, when his body was found at the bottom of a swimming pool.

The family rushed to the scene – but Ms Nyachuru and her mother were barred from seeing his body: “They told me: 'You can’t go in there because he is indecently dressed.'

"It was only my father, my brother-in-law and our pastor who went in and put him in the coffin."

Guide was "a lovely boy... due to be made head boy the following year”, his sister remembers.

She noted he was “intelligent, a good swimmer, strong and healthy with no known medical conditions".

Those who attended the camps noted Smyth was fixated on nudity and frequently slept naked in the boys’ dormitory. His wife slept in separate quarters.

Following Guide’s death, Smyth was charged with culpable homicide. But a series of “lost documents” reportedly led to the case against him being dropped.

In an undated statement, the Archbishop of Canterbury said he had met with victims of Smyth's abuse, who asked him "specifically to consider John Smyth’s victims in Zimbabwe and South Africa, known and unknown". 

"Guide Nyachuru died at a Smyth camp in 1992 and I will be writing to his family," Archbishop Justin said. "I apologise on behalf of the Church of England to all those in Africa who were abused after John Smyth had been uncovered in the UK in 1982, although the Church did not know, owing to the cover up, of the abuse until 2013."

According to the BBC, in 2021 Edith received a letter from Archbishop Justin acknowledging her brother's deaths

It reportedly reads: "Dear Ms Nyachura, I was this evening given your name as the older sister of Guide Nyachuru, who so tragically died as a result of John Smyth's abuse."