Church covered up 'abhorrent' abuse, report finds

A British barrister's "horrific" and convulsive maltreatment of much than 100 children and young men was covered up wrong the Church of England for decades, according to the decision of a damning report.

John Smyth QC is believed to beryllium the astir prolific serial abuser to beryllium associated with the Church of England, a long-awaited autarkic reappraisal found.

Smyth QC, who died aged 77 successful Cape Town successful 2018, was accused of attacking boys astatine his Winchester location who helium had met astatine a Dorset campy during the 1970s and 1980s.

The Church has said it was "deeply atrocious for the horrific abuse" and added that "there is ne'er a spot for covering up abuse".

In a associated statement, the Church of England's pb safeguarding bishop, Joanne Grenfell, and the nationalist manager of safeguarding, Alexander Kubeyinje, said they were "deeply atrocious for the horrific maltreatment inflicted by the precocious John Smyth and its lifelong effects, already spanning much than 40 years".

Smyth is said to person subjected his victims to traumatic physical, sexual, intelligence and spiritual attacks, permanently marking their lives.

Despite his "appalling" actions having been identified successful the 1980s, the study concluded helium was ne'er afloat exposed and was truthful capable to proceed his abuse.

He had been successful the process of being extradited from Zimbabwe aft the allegations arose successful 2017 and truthful was "never bought to justness for the abuse", the reappraisal said.

The review, commissioned a twelvemonth aft Smyth's death by the Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, recovered that an statement had been made that the abuses were "examples of over-enthusiastic corporal punishment".

But the study stated: "The decision of the Review is that helium committed transgression acts of gross abuse."