Report finds Church of England covered up ‘horrific’ abuse at summer camps decades ago

LONDON — The Church of England covered up “horrific” abuse by a lawyer who volunteered at Christian summer camps in the 1970s and 1980s, and the ceremonial head of the Anglican Communion failed to report him to authorities when he learned of the abuse in 2013, according to an independent review released Thursday. “Despite the efforts of some individuals to bring the abuse to the attention of authorities, the responses by the Church of England and others were wholly ineffective and amounted to a coverup.” The church said it was “deeply sorry for the horrific abuse,” adding “there is never a place for covering up abuse.” Smyth, who was an accomplished lawyer and charismatic speaker, was a volunteer leader at the Iwerne camps. “Church officers knew of the abuse and failed to take the steps necessary to prevent further abuse occurring,” the report said. “In effect, three and a half years was lost, a time within which John Smyth could have been brought to justice and any abuse he was committing in South Africa discovered and stopped,” the report said.