THE creator of the long-overdue report on the violent abuse perpetuated by John Smyth has apologised this week, saying that his review of the case won’t be published this month as previously promised, but at a date yet to be set.
Keith Makin was commissioned by the Church of England to review the Smyth case in 2019 (News, 16 August 2019), after allegations had been reported by Channel 4 News two years previously (News, 10 February 2017), when Smyth was still alive. He died in 2018, before he might be questioned.
The publication of the Makin review has been put back repeatedly, after initially being expected in May 2020 (News, 6 August 2021; News, 11 August 2023). A yr ago, Mr Makin’s discovery and disclosure to the police of latest information regarding Smyth led to an additional delay (News, 18 April 2023).
Earlier this yr, Mr Makin denied that these delays were due to pressure from the Church of England (News, 19 January). Individuals criticised within the review were to be given a likelihood to reply in March (a process often known as “Maxwellisation”), he said on the time, with a view to publication soon afterwards.
But that very same month, a survivor of Smyth, often known as Graham Jones — after seeing a draft of the report for fact-checking under a non-disclosure agreement — withdrew his co-operation, saying that the draft represented a “mere shadow” of the case (News, 15 March).
On Tuesday, Mr Makin said that the Maxwellisation stage had now began, “later than planned and later than we outlined in our statement in the beginning of the yr. This was because there was a considerable change to a contribution to the review, at the ultimate stages of completion. The consequence of this was the necessity to review and edit those parts of the review which drew upon this contribution.
“Once this next stage is complete the ultimate report can be handed to the Archbishops’ Council for publication. This can be done as soon as practically possible, but we cannot give definitive dates until this stage of the method is accomplished.”
Mr Jones told the Church Times on Tuesday that he was sceptical about any future timelines. “Since I made a decision I wanted nothing more to do with this flawed process, it has taken ten weeks to remove my testimony and it’s now almost six months since I first expressed concerns.”
He continued: “I’m told that Mr Makin is allowing three weeks for Maxwellisation. When this review has now taken almost 4 years, and considering the number of people that is likely to be criticised, that is spectacularly naïve. The only other conclusion is likely to be that the review is so bland that he has not criticised anyone to the degree that Smyth’s victims want and deserve.”
He said: “Justice delayed is justice denied. Not a single person has been held to account over 12 years since I disclosed to the Church of England.”
Mr Makin began his statement with an apology, saying that he was “aware of the continued impact that the delays” were having on people affected by the review, particularly the victims and survivors of Smyth. “I would really like to underline my apology,” he said, before outlining next steps which he hoped would “provide some reassurance”.
