Seven Zimbabweans filed a lawsuit against the Church of England on Saturday for allegedly hiding abuses committed by John Smyth QC at Christian holiday camps in the 1980s and 1990s. The claimants consist of six men abused as teenagers, and Edith Nyachuru represents her brother Guide Nyachuru, who died at age 16 in a swimming pool at one of Smyth's camps in 1992. British law firm Leigh Day is handling the case.
The 2024 Makin Review determined that church officials deliberately failed to report Smyth's criminal behavior in the United Kingdom between 1982 and 1984, which allowed him to relocate to Zimbabwe. An internal church investigation acknowledged his crimes but did not contact the police. Senior clergy encouraged Smyth to leave the country to protect the institution's reputation.
The lawsuit targets St Andrew the Great Church in Cambridge, which employed the late Reverend Mark Ruston. Ruston led the initial internal investigation but concealed the abuse. Smyth established the Zambesi Trust UK after moving to Zimbabwe, and the organization funded his camps where the abuses occurred.
The claimants seek an apology, an independent review of abuses in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and financial compensation. The Makin Review led to the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury and disciplinary proceedings against several clergy members.
The 2024 Makin Review determined that church officials deliberately failed to report Smyth's criminal behavior in the United Kingdom between 1982 and 1984, which allowed him to relocate to Zimbabwe. An internal church investigation acknowledged his crimes but did not contact the police. Senior clergy encouraged Smyth to leave the country to protect the institution's reputation.
The lawsuit targets St Andrew the Great Church in Cambridge, which employed the late Reverend Mark Ruston. Ruston led the initial internal investigation but concealed the abuse. Smyth established the Zambesi Trust UK after moving to Zimbabwe, and the organization funded his camps where the abuses occurred.
The claimants seek an apology, an independent review of abuses in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and financial compensation. The Makin Review led to the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury and disciplinary proceedings against several clergy members.
