Anglican church apologises for not warning about abusive parishioner

The Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Reverend Thabo Makgoba has responded to a finding that the church failed to alert an independent institution about abuse by a parishioner. Their report, released by Dr Mamphela Ramphele and Judge Ian Farlam found that the church erred by not informing the Church on Main in Claremont where John Smyth worshipped.

Makgoba commissioned the report in November following a slew of abuse allegations against Smyth in England and Zimbabwe since the 1970s. Makgoba says he became aware of the allegations in 2017.

A scathing report by the Anglican Church in England found that Smyth had groomed and physically abused about 130 young boys for decades in England and Zimbabwe. The report found that there was a 30 year cover up of prolific, brutal and horrifying abuse inside the Church of England.

On hearing about the police investigation, Smyth had moved to Zimbabwe in the 1980s, where he is believed to have continued with the abuse. A police investigation against Smyth collapsed in Zimbabwe following the death of a 16-year-old boy, blamed on him. He then moved to Durban in South Africa.

In 2013, the church of England sent a letter to an Anglican parish in South Africa. When Smyth was confronted by the church about the allegations, he threatened legal action and moved to Cape Town. He then joined an independent church, the Church on Main. The Anglican Church of Southern Africa, on its investigation found that it had failed to pass the information to the Church on Main.

Head of the Church Archbiship Thabo Makgoba has apologised.

“Where we were found to be at fault, and I accept and regret and apologise, is that we never informed the church on the main that there’s these allegations about Smyth and to that effect after reading the report I wrote to the Church on Main, giving them the report and to apologise unreservedly.”

The report commissioned by Makgoba found insufficient protection against abuse. It noted a disturbing delay in grappling effectively with abuse also in church related institutions like schools and children’s homes. And that there was a serious risk of such conduct being repeated. Makgoba says he’s taking immediate action.

“We have committed that at the meeting of the bishops and our lawyers on the 25 of February for five days, we will get our act together, so there are specific recommendations that we’ve made in terms of how we receive the people we don’t know.”

He has accepted and endorsed the recommendations of the Panel of Enquiry and says he will make it his mission in the remaining two years as head of the Church, to act on the recommendations.