‘Church of England to blame for my brother’s death’ - Zimbabwe anger over child abuser John Smyth

In a heart-wrenching saga that spans continents, the Church of England now finds itself at the center of grievous accusations tied to the harrowing tale of John Smyth, a man whose legacy is marred by the vile shadows of child abuse. This formidable figure, once a respected barrister in the UK, took his malevolent pursuits to Zimbabwe, where he established Christian holiday camps that would become the grounds for his abhorrent acts. John Smyth’s journey into infamy began in the serene backdrop of the British Isles, where his affiliation with the Church of England provided him with a veneer of respectability and trust. It was this misplaced trust that Smyth exploited, leveraging his position within the church to prey upon unsuspecting victims. The scandal first broke in the UK, shining a lurid light on the dark corners of institutional neglect and the complacency that allowed such a predator to thrive within the ranks of a revered religious institution. However, Smyth’s tale took an even more sinister turn when he migrated to Zimbabwe in the 1980s. It was here, under the vast African sky, that Smyth founded Christian holiday camps—a concept that, on the surface, promised spiritual rejuvenation and fellowship. Unfortunately, the reality was far grimmer; these camps became the settings for a series of horrifying abuses that would leave deep, indelible scars on many. The story of Smyth’s reprehensible activities in Zimbabwe is not just one of individual malevolence but