Anglican Church of Southern Africa Apologizes for Failing to Prevent Child Abuse

Fri Jul 18 2025 16:36:24 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)
Anglican Church of Southern Africa Apologizes for Failing to Prevent Child Abuse

The Church acknowledges shortcomings in protecting children from a notorious abuser, John Smyth, who misused his position in congregations.


Following a troubling investigation, the Anglican Church of Southern Africa has formally apologized for not adequately safeguarding children from known child abuser John Smyth, who relocated to South Africa. Archbishop Thabo Makgoba emphasized the church's failure in its protective duties and outlined urgent reforms.


The Anglican Church of Southern Africa (Acsa) has publicly expressed remorse for neglecting to shield its community from the dangers presented by John Smyth, a prolific British child abuser who relocated to South Africa in 2001. Smyth, a former barrister who passed away in 2018, was responsible for the abuse of over 100 children and young men during the 1970s and 1980s in the UK and Zimbabwe, mainly through Christian camps he organized.

In light of an independent review, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, resigned last year, recognizing that church leaders—including himself—could and should have alerted the authorities to Smyth’s activities back in 2013. Despite previous warnings regarding his abusive past, Smyth's move to South Africa went largely unchecked as he joined a local Anglican community in Durban, where he engaged with children and preached.

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba commissioned a fresh inquiry last year which revealed a "very high risk" of Smyth continuing his abusive actions within the Acsa framework. The report concluded that the church's communication regarding Smyth's past was inadequate, leading to a failure in protecting the congregation.

Smyth's history of abuse had been brought to light before his South African relocation, yet neither the church nor the authorities took effective action. Following a confrontation from church leaders around 2003-2004 regarding allegations against him, Smyth and his wife left their Durban community and later returned to another Anglican congregation just before his death.

Despite no records indicating that Smyth continued his abusive behavior in South Africa, the report stresses that young individuals within the Anglican Church were exposed to considerable risks during Smyth’s residency. Archbishop Makgoba acknowledged this failure, asserting that the church must implement critical reforms to protect its members and ensure a safer environment moving forward.

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