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| British barrister accused of child abuse had been charged in killing of teen | British barrister accused of child abuse had been charged in killing of teen |
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| A British barrister who allegedly abused boys at his Christian summer camps was later charged in connection with the killing of a teenage boy in Zimbabwe. | A British barrister who allegedly abused boys at his Christian summer camps was later charged in connection with the killing of a teenage boy in Zimbabwe. |
| John Smyth QC left the UK after details of his alleged physical abuse of public schoolboys who attended the camps emerged in 1982. | John Smyth QC left the UK after details of his alleged physical abuse of public schoolboys who attended the camps emerged in 1982. |
| Neither the Iwerne Trust, which ran the Christian camps, the Church of England nor Winchester College, whose pupils were among the alleged victims, reported the case to police. | Neither the Iwerne Trust, which ran the Christian camps, the Church of England nor Winchester College, whose pupils were among the alleged victims, reported the case to police. |
| Instead, Smyth was warned away from Winchester College by the headmaster and left for Zimbabwe, where he set up the Zambesi Ministries and ran similar summer camps attended by boys from top public schools in the country. | |
| Channel 4 News reported on Friday that Smyth faced charges in relation to the mysterious death of a 16-year-old boy at one of the camps in Ruzawi. The boy, Guide Nyachuru, was found in 1992 at the bottom of a swimming pool in the grounds of Ruzawi school, where the Zambesi camps were held. | Channel 4 News reported on Friday that Smyth faced charges in relation to the mysterious death of a 16-year-old boy at one of the camps in Ruzawi. The boy, Guide Nyachuru, was found in 1992 at the bottom of a swimming pool in the grounds of Ruzawi school, where the Zambesi camps were held. |
| In 1997 Smyth was charged in connection with the killing and with the alleged abuse of five boys. The barrister was also accused of swimming naked with Zimbabwean teenagers, showering with them in the nude and encouraging them to talk about masturbation. | In 1997 Smyth was charged in connection with the killing and with the alleged abuse of five boys. The barrister was also accused of swimming naked with Zimbabwean teenagers, showering with them in the nude and encouraging them to talk about masturbation. |
| One alleged victim told the broadcaster that Smyth administered savage beatings with wooden bats, in a chilling echo of the allegations made against him in Britain. | One alleged victim told the broadcaster that Smyth administered savage beatings with wooden bats, in a chilling echo of the allegations made against him in Britain. |
| But Smyth, a former friend of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who has said he had no knowledge of any abuse claims, had the case against him dismissed a year later in Zimbabwe. | But Smyth, a former friend of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who has said he had no knowledge of any abuse claims, had the case against him dismissed a year later in Zimbabwe. |
| Court documents from the time reported by the broadcaster state: “The particular allegations are that [Smyth] made the complainants walk naked to the swimming pool at night; that he took showers with them in the nude; that he talked to them about masturbation and told them to be proud of their ‘dicks’ as Jesus Christ had one; and that he assaulted them on their ‘rear bare buttocks’ with a table tennis bat.” | Court documents from the time reported by the broadcaster state: “The particular allegations are that [Smyth] made the complainants walk naked to the swimming pool at night; that he took showers with them in the nude; that he talked to them about masturbation and told them to be proud of their ‘dicks’ as Jesus Christ had one; and that he assaulted them on their ‘rear bare buttocks’ with a table tennis bat.” |
| Nyachuru’s sister, Edith, told the broadcaster that if the church authorities had reported Smyth to the police in Britain in 1982, “my brother wouldn’t meet the fate he met”. | Nyachuru’s sister, Edith, told the broadcaster that if the church authorities had reported Smyth to the police in Britain in 1982, “my brother wouldn’t meet the fate he met”. |
| Smyth left Zimbabwe in 2002 to move to South Africa, where he became a religious campaigner against gay rights. He has not responded to requests for a comment. | Smyth left Zimbabwe in 2002 to move to South Africa, where he became a religious campaigner against gay rights. He has not responded to requests for a comment. |
| Hampshire police are now investigating the allegations of abuse in the UK. Smyth has not been arrested. It has emerged that police initially refused to mount an inquiry because the allegations were non-recent and there was a difficult issue of potential extradition of the suspect. | Hampshire police are now investigating the allegations of abuse in the UK. Smyth has not been arrested. It has emerged that police initially refused to mount an inquiry because the allegations were non-recent and there was a difficult issue of potential extradition of the suspect. |
| The Church of England told the Guardian it first reported the allegations to Cambridgeshire police in 2013, when an alleged victim came forward in the diocese of Ely. The report was given to the police liaison officer from the Cambridgeshire force. When nothing happened the diocese again reported the matter to the police in February 2014, the Church of England said. The church was told that there would be no investigation because the allegations were non-recent and there were difficulties regarding extradition of the suspect. | The Church of England told the Guardian it first reported the allegations to Cambridgeshire police in 2013, when an alleged victim came forward in the diocese of Ely. The report was given to the police liaison officer from the Cambridgeshire force. When nothing happened the diocese again reported the matter to the police in February 2014, the Church of England said. The church was told that there would be no investigation because the allegations were non-recent and there were difficulties regarding extradition of the suspect. |
| In 2014 a separate police report was made to Hampshire police – the area in which the alleged abuse by Smyth took place. Hampshire said at the time the case could not be pursued because the party who reported the allegations would not provide more details of victims or other information. | In 2014 a separate police report was made to Hampshire police – the area in which the alleged abuse by Smyth took place. Hampshire said at the time the case could not be pursued because the party who reported the allegations would not provide more details of victims or other information. |
| It was not until last month that Hampshire police reactivated the inquiry and is now carrying out an investigation into the alleged abuse of several teenage boys who attended the Iwerne Trust camps in the 1970s and 1980s. | It was not until last month that Hampshire police reactivated the inquiry and is now carrying out an investigation into the alleged abuse of several teenage boys who attended the Iwerne Trust camps in the 1970s and 1980s. |
| Winchester College has defended its decision not to report the allegations to police when they first emerged in 1982. | Winchester College has defended its decision not to report the allegations to police when they first emerged in 1982. |
| A spokeswoman said this week no report was made to the police at the time, not least because parents of the victims felt their sons should be spared more trauma. The college had never sought to conceal “these dreadful events”, it said in a statement. | A spokeswoman said this week no report was made to the police at the time, not least because parents of the victims felt their sons should be spared more trauma. The college had never sought to conceal “these dreadful events”, it said in a statement. |
| The school had acted as best it could “in accordance with the standards of the time”, but said that the allegations of further abuse “reveals the inadequacy of those standards”. | The school had acted as best it could “in accordance with the standards of the time”, but said that the allegations of further abuse “reveals the inadequacy of those standards”. |
| An inquiry carried out for the Iwerne Trust in 1982 by Mark Ruston, a Church of England vicar, described the “horrific” abuse suffered by the alleged victims. But neither the Iwerne Trust nor Ruston reported the case to the police. | An inquiry carried out for the Iwerne Trust in 1982 by Mark Ruston, a Church of England vicar, described the “horrific” abuse suffered by the alleged victims. But neither the Iwerne Trust nor Ruston reported the case to the police. |
| According to the 1982 report, the boys were given beatings of 100 strokes as punishment for masturbation and 400 for exhibiting the sin of pride. One was said to have received a beating of 800 lashes for an unspecified sin. | According to the 1982 report, the boys were given beatings of 100 strokes as punishment for masturbation and 400 for exhibiting the sin of pride. One was said to have received a beating of 800 lashes for an unspecified sin. |
| The report says that eight of the boys received a total of 14,000 lashes, with two sharing 8,000 strokes over a three-year period. | The report says that eight of the boys received a total of 14,000 lashes, with two sharing 8,000 strokes over a three-year period. |
| One boy told Ruston, the document’s author: “I could feel the blood spattering on my legs.” | One boy told Ruston, the document’s author: “I could feel the blood spattering on my legs.” |
| • This article was amended on 6 February 2017. An earlier version said John Smyth founded Zambesi Mission. He founded Zambesi Ministries, which has no connection with the Zambesi Mission. We apologise for the error. |