The Archbishop of Canterbury has apologised to the victims of a perverted barrister who groomed and abused boys at Christian summer camps.

The Most Rev Justin Welby admits that the impact of John Smyth QC's horrific crimes in the 1970s and 1980s "has been widespread".

Smyth beat 22 boys, forcing them to strip before the ordeals, while he was a leader at the Iwerne Trust camps.

His offences were first revealed in an investigation by Channel 4 News four years ago - but Mr Welby now says he and the Diocese of Ely were first informed in 2013.

In a statement issued by Lambeth Palace, he said: "Having met some victims now, I want to offer a full, personal apology. I am sorry that this was done in the name of Jesus Christ by a perverted version of spirituality and evangelicalism.

"It is clear that the impact of this has been widespread.

"I want to offer this apology, in addition, to those Smyth victims that I have not met.

"I continue to hear new details of the abuse and my sorrow, shock and horror grows."

The Channel 4 probe came after an Iwerne Trust report from 1982 was finally made public in 2016.

It said Smyth groomed pupils from leading private schools, before taking them to his home in Winchester, Hampshire, and carrying out lashings in his sound-proofed garden shed.

The secret document noted that eight of the boys were struck with the cane 14,000 times in all, with two others receiving 8,000 thrashings in three years.

Smyth later moved to Zimbabwe, where he was again accused of beating children at holiday camps he organised.

He relocated again to South Africa, where he died in 2018, after being arrested on suspicion of killing a 16-year-old boy. The case was dropped after he was apprehended.

"The victims I met have made clear that they are angry that John Smyth was not stopped in 2013, when disclosure to the Diocese of Ely was first made and I was duly informed," the Archbishop continued.

"By this time Mr Smyth had been out of the UK for nearly 30 years.

"We, the Church, were unclear as to his activities abroad or indeed to the utterly horrendous scope and extent of his actions here and overseas.

"I recognise the anger of the survivors and victims but having checked that the Diocese of Cape Town was informed and that the police were properly informed and involved our jurisdiction did not extend further.

"I believe that by 2013 Mr Smyth was no longer attending an Anglican Church."

Mr Welby added: "The victims asked me specifically to consider John Smyth’s victims in Zimbabwe and South Africa, known and unknown.

"Guide Nyachuru died at a Smyth camp in 1992 and I will be writing to his family.

"I apologise on behalf of the Church of England to all those in Africa who were abused after John Smyth had been uncovered in the UK in 1982 - although the Church did not know, owing to the cover up, of the abuse until 2013."

It also emerged four years ago that Mr Welby had worked with Smyth at the holiday camps in the 1970s and 1980s.

"It is clear a number of Christians, clergy and lay, were made aware of the abuse in the 1980s and many learned in subsequent years..."

The Archbishop issued an "unreserved and unequivocal" apology on behalf of the church at the time of the revelations.

And now he says the Church of England's national safeguarding team will "investigate every clergy person or others within their scope of whom they have been informed who knew and failed to disclose the abuse".

In his latest statement, he added: "These victims are rightly concerned that no one appears to have faced any sanction yet, when it is clear a number of Christians, clergy and lay, were made aware of the abuse in the 1980s and many learned in subsequent years.

"I have not yet received a list of names. I am told by survivors that some facilitated Smyth’s move to Africa.

"I applaud the bravery of those who came forward and all those who have testified since. I know this has come at great personal cost and continues to cause suffering."

The Church has ordered an independent review of its handling of the allegations against Smyth to be carried by former social services boss Keith Makin.

"I have given an undertaking that it will be published in full. I pray that this can give some sense of closure for these victims," Mr Welby stated.

"The Church has a duty to look after those who have been harmed. We have not always done that well.

"I know that words are inadequate and will have a different meaning and impact on individuals, but I hope that my words today can convey on behalf of the Church of England and myself our deepest sorrow."

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