Church issues apology for underrating danger of abuse by British pastor

(MENAFN) The Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA) has issued an apology for its failure to protect individuals, including children, from potential abuse by British pastor John Smyth, who died without facing criminal charges. The apology, made by Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town on Tuesday, followed the publication of a new report on Smyth's actions on January 31. While the inquiry, authorized by Makgoba last year, found no evidence of similar abuse by Smyth in South Africa, it acknowledged that the church had not taken sufficient protective measures to prevent such abuse.

The Farlam-Ramphele Panel report concluded that ACSA did not adequately address the serious risk of abuse while Smyth was in Cape Town. In response, Makgoba expressed regret, admitting that during Smyth’s time in South Africa, the church failed to protect its members from potential harm.

Smyth, a Canadian-born British attorney and youth pastor, is accused of abusing numerous children in Zimbabwe from 1985 to 2001, before moving to South Africa. He died in 2018 while under investigation. An independent UK review published in November revealed that Smyth used his position to exploit boys and young men, subjecting them to sadistic beatings. It’s estimated that Smyth victimized over 100 children and young men in the UK and Zimbabwe during the 1970s and 1980s.

Keith Makin, who led the UK review, described Smyth's abuse as "prolific and abhorrent," and criticized the Church of England for not taking proper action. Following this report, Archbishop Justin Welby of the Church of England resigned, taking responsibility for the church’s failure to act on the abuse.

The latest investigation into Smyth’s time in South Africa was launched to determine whether the ACSA was warned about his actions and what steps, if any, were taken to prevent further abuse. The panel revealed that although Smyth's abuse was known to the Church of England by the early 1980s, ACSA was not alerted to the risks until 2013.

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