A LONG-AWAITED report on the violent abuse perpetuated by John Smyth is just not being delayed due to pressure from the Church of England, the reviewer, Keith Makin, said on Wednesday.
The report was commissioned greater than five years ago, and its publication has been delayed multiple times, after initially being expected in May 2020 (News, 6 August 2021; News, 11 August 2023). Last yr, Mr Makin’s discovery and disclosure to the police of latest information regarding Smyth led to an extra delay (News, 18 April 2023).
Some have suggested that the Church of England has delayed publication of the report (Letters, 12 January).
In response to a request to comment from the Church Times, Mr Makin said in a press release: “Concerns have been expressed that I can have been put under pressure to delay publication of this report. I can confirm this is just not the case.
“Several aspects have contributed to the time taken reaching this current stage, including various the terms of my contract. This will enable me to perform representations, where those criticised within the review can be given advance notice of this and supplied with a chance to reply.”
Mr Makin said that this process, generally known as “Maxwellisation”, was expected to start in March.
In a press release, the Church of England’s national director of safeguarding, Alex Kubeyinje, suggested that the National Safeguarding Team (NST) was offering “additional resources and financial support to make sure the report is received by the top of April with a view to publication as soon as practically possible after that date”.
Both Mr Makin and Mr Kubeyinje acknowledged the effect that the delay was having on survivors.
“I would love to take this chance to thank victims for his or her courage, time, and detailed input to the review and more recently in meetings with me,” Mr Makin said. “I recognise the impact that the duration of the review has had on victims, their families, and others involved on this case.”
Mr Kubeyinje said that the NST, which commissioned the report in 2019, “recognises the method has gone on longer than is suitable for those waiting for an consequence and for the Church to act and learn on the outcomes of the report. Along with the reviewer we apologise for this delay.”
In 2019, it was announced that Mr Makin, a former director of social services, had been appointed by the NST to perform a “lessons-learnt” review of how the Church had handled allegations against Smyth (News, 16 August 2019).
Smyth was a former chair of the Iwerne Trust, which, with the Scripture Union, ran holiday camps for boys at English public schools. It was at these camps, within the Nineteen Eighties, that he groomed dozens of boys and young men, whom he went on to beat violently in his garden shed.
Smyth later moved to Zimbabwe, where further accusations of abuse against children were made. He died in 2018, before he could face trial (News, 13 August 2018).
The statements from Mr Makin and Mr Kubeyinje were issued by Church House, Westminster, on Wednesday morning, and included the supply of details of FearFree Support, an independent advocacy service engaged by the NST to supply support to victims of abuse, offering “trauma informed and victim led bespoke support”.
