British lawyer and evangelist accused of abusing boys at camps in the 1970s dies in South Africa

But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:6 (also Mark 9:42, Luke 17:2)

As reported by Steve Bird of the London Daily Telegraph, August 12, 2018 (links in original):

A former QC and Christian evangelist accused of brutally hitting boys in the 1970’s at a Christian holiday camp where the Archbishop of Canterbury once worked has died.

John Smyth is thought to have suffered a heart attack at his home in Cape Town, South Africa, aged 77, on Saturday morning.

His death comes a year after he was forced to repeatedly reject claims he had used summer camps as a way to recruit young men to a cult in which he subjected them sado-masochistic assaults.

He was accused of handing out up to 800 lashes to more than 20 young men over a four year period in the late 70’s.

Hampshire Police launched an enquiry into the allegations last March and had reportedly recently requested he return to the UK for questioning.

The Most Rev Justin Welby was forced to issue an “unreserved and unequivocal” apology on behalf of the Church of England after admitting last year that the Church had failed to report allegations of abuse by John Smyth QC to the police after allegations came to light as far back as 1982.

Smyth's family said in a statement: "At approximately 9am on Sat 11 August, John Smyth died in his home in Cape Town.

"The official cause of death has not yet been made known, but the indicators are that it was a sudden heart attack following a heart procedure earlier in the week. We ask that the family be left alone to grieve his passing."

A spokesman for the Western Cape Police said: “This office can confirm that Kirstenhof police attended to the death of a 77-year-old man this morning in Bergvliet.

“On the scene, EMS personnel was interviewed who reported that the deceased succumbed to death due to natural causes. No police investigation has been instituted.”

A spokeswoman for the CPS was last night unable to confirm claims by some of the victims that it had been planning to apply to extradite Smyth to the UK to face prosecution.

Smyth’s victims expressed anger that his death meant he would never be brought before a court to face charges that he systematically abused them.

It was claimed last year that the barrister had escaped justice after the Iwerne Trust that oversaw the camps failed to report the attacks to police when they first learned of them decades ago.

Last night, Andrew Morse, 57, who was abused by Smyth, told the Telegraph: “We should all remember that John Smyth himself was a child. We can only move forward with forgiveness, I hope people will allow his family to grieve in private.”

Mr Morse had complained he was repeatedly ignored by the Church of England when he reported the abuse he had suffered.

One victim who uses the name Graham, said that he remains angry that the Archbishop of Canterbury did not do more when he learned of the allegatiosn.

“I am incandescent with rage that the opportunity to bring him to justice,” he said. “It was a wasted opportunity to address the most horrendous level of crime that has been known about for many years.

Andrew Graystone, who has worked as victims’ advocate in the case, said: “The victims are terrifically saddened. But, there’s also anger that the police, the church and the Titus Trust [which took over Iwerne Trust in 2000] had taken so long to start to engage with them. So, the opportunity for any justice has been lost.”

Last year, the Archbishop insisted he was “completely unaware” of claims Smyth, his colleague at the summer camp, had been subjecting boys to brutal sado-masochistic beatings.

In a radio interview he insisted that he had “never heard anything at all” about allegations regarding Smyth.

Smyth had chaired the Iwerne Trust, the charity that oversaw the camps, and held summer retreats for public school boys om Dorset in the Seventies. They were described as religion’s Sandhurst, intended to produce the next generation of elite Christians.

The Iwerne Trust is now part of the Titus Trust. A spokesman for the Titus Trust said last year that the “very disturbing allegations... should have been reported to the police when they first became known”.