Archbishop's QC friend 'allowed to commit abuse after evangelicals failed to report him'

[Heddi]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/26/archbishops-qc-friend-allowed-commit-abuse-afterevangelicals/

A barrister at the centre of a child abuse scandal committed a series of sickening assaults against young men after leading evangelical groups failed to report him to the police, it is claimed.

John Smyth QC, a friend of the Archbishop of Canterbury, is accused of carrying out sadomasochistic attacks on boys he met at Christian camps in Britain and Zimbabwe.

The assaults first came to light in 1982, when a victim attempted suicide after being summoned to a beating in the shed of Mr Smyth’s Winchester home.

...
t has now emerged that a number of senior figures at high-profile evangelical organisations were told of the claims but did not alert the authorities.

David Fletcher, a Iwerne trustee who oversaw an investigation into the alleged assaults, said he told the Church Society, a powerful voice on the evangelical wing of the Church of England, about the claims in 1982.

David Jackman, then a senior minister at a leading evangelical church also admitted he was told about the allegations at the same time. Mr Jackman went on to become head of the Proclamation Trust, which helps train evangelical preachers,

The Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship, the legal charity of which Mr Smyth was a member, is also named in Iwerne documents as having been informed.

Separately, the Charity Commission has announced that it has launched an investigation into a charity established by Reverend Sue Colman, a trustee of the Holy Trinity Brompton, which oversees the Alpha Course, the evangelical movement backed by celebrities such as Bear Grylls, after she admitted sending thousands of pounds to Mr Smyth via her personal charity.

Dr Lee Gatiss, the director of the Church Society, said the group had examined its records but had “no reason to believe that Church Society was aware of any abuse allegations of the kind referred to, or indeed that Mr Smyth had any involvement with Church Society”.

Mr Jackman, who is a director of Keep Marriage Special, a group launched by the Church Society that claimed that letting same sex couples marry would lead to the legalisation of incest, said he believed he had acted correctly in not notifying police.

[trotsky]

1. Just lovely.

But seriously, after the endless amount of horrible things we've learned about this church's behavior, is anyone truly surprised when yet more is uncovered?

[Heddi]

2. Please remember, Trotsky

That pointing out ritualistic, decades-long sexual child abuse that was known by the church and actively covered up is just evidence of anti-religious bigotry. Because it's important to remember that.

[trotsky]

3. Well and because it's the only response the perpetually privileged can provide.

They'd prefer to keep their privilege intact. No criticism of religion allowed!

[MineralMan]

4. Another horror story. I have to wonder how many such stories there are

that we will never hear. We must always be watchful.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

5. +1

#sad!

[Goblinmonger]

6. Nothing to see here. Keep moving.

How is this organization taken seriously?