The churches (the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church) and children

First of all, a question which is about orthodox Christian belief (eg conservative evangelical belief) and children.  Then, some Biblical texts and 'Hate Crime.' The Biblical texts are about harming and killing children. These surely amount to 'hate crime,' by the working definition used by South Yorkshire Police and Alan Billings, the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner.  After this, material on sexual abuse in the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church, including evidence that deference to these churches and the high status of these churches (but not everywhere) have contributed to the problem of child sexual abuse. Extracts from the report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

The Question

The Christian scheme often referred to as 'Justification by faith' works like this. Salvation is only for people who accept Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Saviour. Salvation has nothing to do with 'good works' or with achievement. There are many New Testament texts which make this clear and some which contradict it. Those people who for one reason or another have never accepted Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Saviour go to hell.

What of children? Do these orthodox Christians believe there is an age limit, below which a child who has never accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour will not be consigned to hell? There is no New Testament text (and obviously no Old Testament text) which would make clear whether ten year olds or five year olds are subject to the same penalty as their parent or parents or foster parent or foster parents.  What does Alan Billings have to say about this, what do other theologians have to say about this - or the non-theologians who attend churches with these beliefs concerning salvation? I'll return to this issue after some contrasting material.

Some Biblical texts and 'Hate Crime'

Psalm 137, extract

Babylon, you will be destroyed.
Happy are those who pay you back
for what you have done to us -
who take your babies
and smash them against a rock.

From my page Billingsgate: a question addressed to Dr Billings. The question is about God's supposed killing of all the first-born in Egypt, including the killing of the first-born of slaves.

Moses had warned Pharaoh that there was one final plague coming, and it would be worse than the first nine. Let’s read from God’s Word to find out what this plague would be.
Read Exodus 11:4-6: “So Moses said, ‘This is what the LORD says; ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again.”’
Ask: Who can tell me what the final plague is? (Allow time for kids to respond.)
Say: That’s right. The firstborn son in every Egyptian family would die.
Ask: Why do you think God would do this to the Egyptians? (Allow time for kids to respond.)
Say: Our God is a just God. That means that He takes sin very seriously and punishes those who harden their hearts against Him. God had every right to punish the Egyptians for refusing to obey Him. By sending the first nine plagues God had put His power on display for Egypt to see, yet they still remained disobedient. Now God would show His justice.

Another text, from the 'Billingsgate' questions for the two panels. Extract from Deuteronomy 20:

[13] When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. [14] As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies. [15] This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby. [16] However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. [17] Completely destroy them---the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites---as the Lord your God has commanded you.

I had a phone conversation with an evangelical Christian recently in which I put this question to him. The church had received quite a large donation for its work with children.  The conversation was very subdued. I simply asked a very few questions and this particular Christian, a pastor at a South Yorkshire Church, answered at some length. I knew what answers to expect, and I wasn't surprised by the answers.

•  

• One of the questions was about an issue I've addressed quite often in these pages. I asked him about the Jews who went to the gas chambers at Auschwitz and other extermination camps. I didn't mention the Jews who were killed by many other methods. Apart from the tiny minority of Christian converts who were killed, what was the fate of these people in the Christian scheme of things?  He made it clear that in the Christian scheme of things, all these people would spend eternity in hell.

• I said that very many of these people would have been orthodox Jews, with a belief in the God of the Old Testament. He made it clear that these people too were damned.
  

• I asked about children, not not Jewish children but all children who die without having accepted Christ as 'Lord and Saviour.' I mentioned the fact that in humane legal systems, there's an age of criminal responsibility. Below that age, children are not punished at all or not given the penalties applicable to adults. I said that I knew of no Biblical texts which address this issue. I asked him, can ten year olds be sent to hell, or five year olds, according to Christian faith? I could have asked him about the fate of even younger children, but didn't.

•  

• He said that he didn't know of any Biblical texts on the issue. He seemed completely unconcerned about the horrific implications of such young children being sent to hell, just as he had been unconcerned about the horrific implications of the victims of the Holocaust being sent to hell - for eternity. The most barbaric legal codes have been less barbaric than this.

•  

• Sexual abuse in the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church

Alan Billings, the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, has had a damaging effect on policing in South Yorkshire, I contend. This page gives a national and international perspective on some of the reasons why I take this view.

Alan Billings has concentrated  his attention on the failures of South Yorkshire Police to react adequately to sexual abuse in Rotherham. His view of policing is based on favouring certain groups, neglecting other groups. He hasn't in the least promoted policing  which is neutral so far as possible, policing which recognizes the importance, the centrality, of equality before the law. There should be no presumption that the churches are beyond scrutiny, or that deficiencies in ethnic minority groups should be disregarded, any more than deficiencies to be found in other groups, and similarly in the case of women / men and LGBQT / heterosexual, working class / middle class.

He has concentrated his attention on sexual abuse committed by members of one minority religious group but his frequent statements haven't formed part of a fair-minded attempt to encourage 'neutral' policing in South Yorkshire. He has mentioned sexual abuse by Christians, but it amounts to no more than a mention. He has found it convenient to give the impression that sexual abuse in Christian Churches isn't such a big problem.

For the most part, there have been no scandals to do with sexual abuse by Christians in South Yorkshire which have been reported in the national and international press, unlike the case of some people of Pakistani heritage - I give extracts from some of the international reporting below, from the 'New York Times,' 'Deutsche Welle' and 'Le Monde, but cases of sexual abuse by Christians in Great Britain (and Ireland) have been widely publicized in national and international reports and reporting. I give some examples below - just a little evidence from a vast repository of evidence.

Alan Billings must have known about the extent of sexual abuse in the Church of England (and the Roman Catholic Church) but he can't claim, I'm sure, that he has given the issue anything like the attention it deserves. He has preferred to concentrate his attention on  abuse carried out by some groups of Moslems.

Extracts from reports of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, including this:

The culture of the Church of England facilitated it becoming a place where abusers could hide. Deference to the authority of the Church and to individual priests, taboos surrounding discussion of sexuality and an environment where alleged perpetrators were treated more supportively than victims presented barriers to disclosure that many victims could not overcome. Another aspect of the Church’s culture was clericalism, which meant that the moral authority of clergy was widely perceived as beyond reproach.

...

A culture of clericalism existed in which the moral authority of clergy was widely perceived as beyond reproach. They benefited from deferential treatment so that their conduct was not questioned, enabling some to abuse children and vulnerable adults. In the third public hearing Bishop Hancock (then Lead Bishop on Safeguarding) agreed that “issues of clericalism and deference have allowed abuse to be covered up and the voices of the vulnerable to be silenced”. In his view, “the abuse of power has been perhaps the most significant reason why abuse has been allowed to foster” in the Church of England

Latterly, a significant amount of offending involved the downloading or possession of indecent images of children. The Inquiry examined a number of cases relating to both convicted perpetrators and alleged perpetrators, many of which demonstrated the Church’s failure to take seriously disclosures by or about children or to refer allegations to the statutory authorities. These included:

• Timothy Storey, who was a youth leader in the Diocese of London from 2002 to 2007. He used his role to groom teenage girls. Storey is currently serving 15 years in prison for several offences against children, including rape. He had admitted sexual activity with a teenager to diocesan staff years before his conviction, but denied coercion.
• Victor Whitsey, who was Bishop of Chester between 1974 and 1982. Thirteen people complained to Cheshire Constabulary about sexual abuse by Whitsey and the Church of England is aware of six more complainants. The allegations included sexual assault of teenage boys and girls while providing them with pastoral support. He died in 1987.
• Reverend Trevor Devamanikkam, who was a priest until 1996. In 1984 and 1985 he allegedly raped and indecently assaulted a teenage boy, Matthew Ineson, on several occasions when the boy was living in his house. From 2012 onwards, Reverend Matthew Ineson made a number of disclosures to the Church and has complained about the Church’s response. Devamanikkam was charged in 2017 and took his life the day before his court appearance.

Between 2003 and 2018, the main insurer of the Church of England (the Ecclesiastical Insurance Office) managed 217 claims relating to child sexual abuse in the Church.

The culture of the Church of England facilitated it becoming a place where abusers could hide. Deference to the authority of the Church and to individual priests, taboos surrounding discussion of sexuality and an environment where alleged perpetrators were treated more supportively than victims presented barriers to disclosure that many victims could not overcome. Another aspect of the Church’s culture was clericalism, which meant that the moral authority of clergy was widely perceived as beyond reproach. As we have said in other reports, faith organisations such as the Anglican Church are marked out by their explicit moral purpose, in teaching right from wrong. In the context of child sexual abuse, the Church’s neglect of the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of children and young people in favour of protecting its reputation was in conflict with its mission of love and care for the innocent and the vulnerable.

Culture change is assisted by senior Church leaders now saying the right things, but lasting change will require more than platitudes. It will need continuous reinforcement of the abhorrent nature of child sexual abuse and the importance of safeguarding in all of the Church’s settings.

We examined how well current safeguarding practice within the Church was responding to the issue of child sexual abuse. Until recently, at least 2015, the Church of England did not properly resource safeguarding.

On some occasions public support was given to offending clergy. Perhaps the most stark example was that of the former bishop, Peter Ball. In that instance, Lord George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, simply could not believe the allegations against Ball or acknowledge the seriousness of them regardless of evidence, and was outspoken in his support of his bishop. He seemingly wanted the whole business to go away.

Although there have been a number of important improvements in child protection practice within the Church, it has some way to go to rebuild the trust of victims. When the Church did try to uncover past failures, such as the Past Cases Review, which was completed in 2009, the exercise was flawed and incomplete. There were difficulties locating files and an inaccurate impression was given of the scale of the problem, which was likely to have been compounded by the inconsistencies of diocesan returns. The exercise must be repeated to obtain a more accurate picture.
4. In the Chichester/Peter Ball Investigation Report, the Inquiry identified a number of concerns regarding the culture of the Church.

4.1. Clericalism: Power was vested chiefly in the clergy, without accountability to external or independent agencies or individuals. A culture of clericalism existed in which the moral authority of clergy was widely perceived as beyond reproach. They benefited from deferential treatment so that their conduct was not questioned, enabling some to abuse children and vulnerable adults. In the third public hearing Bishop Hancock (then Lead Bishop on Safeguarding) agreed that “issues of clericalism and deference have allowed abuse to be covered up and the voices of the vulnerable to be silenced”. In his view, “the abuse of power has been perhaps the most significant reason why abuse has been allowed to foster” in the Church of England.

4.2. Tribalism: Within the Church, there was disproportionate loyalty to members of one’s own ‘tribe’ (a group within an institution, based upon close personal ties and shared beliefs). This extended inappropriately to safeguarding practice, with the protection of some accused of child sexual abuse. Perpetrators were defended by their peers, who also sought to reintegrate them into Church life without consideration of the welfare or protection of children and vulnerable adults. Contributors to the Inquiry’s Truth Project, who described their abuse in religious contexts, said that they were “disbelieved, discredited and not supported after disclosing their experiences of sexual abuse”.

4.3. Naivety: There was and is a view amongst some parishioners and clergy that their religious practices and adherence to a moral code made sexual abuse of children very unlikely or indeed impossible. Reports of abuse were on occasions dismissed without investigation. There are some within the Church exploring how to respond to these attitudes through academic research.

4.4. Reputation: The primary concern of many senior clergy was to uphold the Church’s reputation, which was prioritised over victims and survivors. Senior clergy often declined to report allegations to statutory agencies, preferring to manage those accused internally for as long as possible. This hindered criminal investigations and enabled some abusers to escape justice. In her review of the Peter Ball case, Dame Moira Gibb concluded that senior clergy placed more emphasis on the Church’s high standing than on the welfare of victims and survivors.Church leaders sought to keep allegations out of the public domain and the resulting lack of engagement with external agencies helped to create a culture of “almost unchallengeable authority” in the Church.

4.5. Sexuality: There was a culture of fear and secrecy within the Church about sexuality. Some members of the Church also wrongly conflated homosexuality with the sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults. There was a lack of transparency, open dialogue and candour about sexual matters, together with an awkwardness about investigating such matters. This made it difficult to challenge sexual behaviour. Mr Colin Perkins, diocesan safeguarding adviser (DSA) for the Diocese of Chichester, told us that homosexual clergy may have found themselves inadvertently “under the same cloak” as child sexual abusers, who sought to mask their behaviour “in the same cultural hiding place”.

5. In May 2019, the Inquiry published its thematic report Child Sexual Abuse in the Context of Religious Institutions, which included accounts from those abused by individuals within the Church of England. Many contributors saw their perpetrators as prominent members of society, with “privilege, respect and reverence” by virtue of their influential positions; their actions were “never questioned” and their ability to abuse was “never contemplated”.The report stated that the “particularly high regard and trust placed in religious institutions” amongst other factors facilitated abuse and discouraged appropriate responses to allegations in the Church.

Other material on sexual abuse in the Church of England and Roman Catholic Church

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/sexual-abuse-hidden-catholic-church-25192600

Scots priest's sexual abuse of two altar boys 'covered up' by Catholic Church, judge says

[The report includes the information that the initial complaint was made to Ralph Heskett, now the Roman Catholic Bishop of Hallam in Sheffield.  According to the judge in this case, Ralph Heskett  failed to report the complaint to the police.]

A Scots priest's sexual abuse  of two altar boys was "covered up" by the Catholic Church,  a judge has said.

Father Thomas MacCarte, from Glasgow,  molested two children after allowing them to smoke cannabis and drink alcohol.

A court heard how the teenagers have been plagued by anger, shame and self-hatred with one of them attempting suicide.

The incident occurred at the Bishop Eton Monastery in Childwall, Liverpool and one of the boy's dad's complained to the church.

He made the complaint to the then-parish priest Ralph Heskett - now the Bishop of Hallam, Sheffield, the Liverpool Echo reported.

However, instead of being reported to the police, MacCarte, who is now aged 70, was instead moved to his native Scotland.

He was found guilty of three counts of indecent assault over the attacks in Merseyside three decades ago and jailed for four years.

Judge Gary Woodhall said at Liverpool Crown Court: "Rather than take action or investigate what had happened, you were simply moved on.

"The church records suggest that the reason for the move was put down to the provision of alcohol to other males.

"I am satisfied that on all the evidence that was deployed in the trial, that was not a complete report about what had been alleged against you.

"Whatever may have been communicated to those higher up within the organisation of the church, what actually happened was a cover up to avoid any embarrassment - the complaint was effectively swept under the carpet.

"You were moved on and allowed to continue working in the church and in communities without any investigation and your two victims were left wondering why it was you were simply moved on

Judge Woodhall said it was clear MacCarte, now of St Mary's Monastery, Hatton Road, Perth, groomed both boys after he drank alcohol to excess.

He said: "You used both boys for your own sexual gratification, with little thought or concern about their needs or wishes.

"You bribed both with money and you threatened them that they were to stay silent, that nobody would believe them over a man of the church."

Judge Woodhall said the victims were concerned about the effect of accusing a man of the church.

He added: "Those threats and the imbalance in the relationship between you and them bought their silence and meant that they felt unable to pursue any complaint against you."

One victim, Boy A, thought the priest was "cool" for letting them hang out in his room, and not lecturing them about sex or lust.

But Robert Wyn Jones, prosecuting, said the priest would stroke the boy's hair and "talk about sex and mutual masturbation."

One time Boy A helped MacCarte get home after the priest had drunk too much, but as they walked down Woolton Road the priest grabbed him and forced his head under his cassock, to the area of his clothed groin.

Judge Woodhall today said: "He was able to fight you off."

The judge said MacCarte also took advantage of the vulnerability of Boy B, who had turned to him for support during a difficult time.

He said: "Rather than acting in a way to help him, you provided him with alcohol and money. You invaded his personal space, you would grab him in his crotch whilst handing money over and try and kiss him.

"On two particular occasions, when you had provided him with sufficient drink such that he was intoxicated, you gave him a pornographic magazine, no doubt to arouse him, and then you indecently assaulted him by removing his lower clothing and placing his penis in your mouth.

"When you tried to get him to do the same to you, he was able to resist."

Boy B was so "troubled" by MacCarte's behaviour that he asked a friend to join him in going to MacCarte's room.

Judge Woodhall said: "You made advances towards this other young male and when he became uncomfortable the two young men left.

"The friend was so troubled by what he had seen that he punched a light switch when he got home."

He said the other boy's parents were alerted and because of this, or what Boy B told his dad about the abuse, Boy B's dad reported MacCarte to the church.

Catholic Church sexual abuse cases

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Catholic_Church_sexual_abuse_cases

There have been many cases of sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests, nuns and other members of religious life. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the cases have involved many allegations, investigations, trials, convictions, acknowledgement and apologies by Church authorities, and revelations about decades of instances of abuse and attempts by Church officials to cover them up. The abused include mostly boys but also girls, some as young as three years old, with the majority between the ages of 11 and 14. Criminal cases for the most part do not cover sexual harassment of adults. The accusations of abuse and cover-ups began to receive public attention during the late 1980s. Many of these cases allege decades of abuse, frequently made by adults or older youths years after the abuse occurred. Cases have also been brought against members of the Catholic hierarchy who covered up sex abuse allegations and moved abusive priests to other parishes, where abuse continued

By the 1990s, the cases began to receive significant media and public attention in countries including in Canada, United States, Chile, Australia and Ireland,  and much of Europe and South America. In 2002, an investigation by The Boston Globe  led to widespread media coverage of the issue in the United States. Widespread abuse has been exposed in Europe, Australia, Chile, and the United States, reflecting worldwide patterns of long-term abuse as well as the Church hierarchy's pattern of regularly covering up reports of abuse ...

Ireland

In Ireland, the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse issued a report that covered six decades (from the 1950s). It noted "endemic" sexual abuse in Catholic boys' institutions, saying that church leaders were aware of abuses and that government inspectors failed to "stop beatings, rapes and humiliation."The report noted the "centrality of poverty and social vulnerability in the lives of the victims of abuse."

United States

The Associated Press   estimated the settlements of US Church sex abuse cases from 1950 to 2007 totaled more than US$2  billion.The figure was more than $3 billion in 2012 according to BishopAccountability.

Chile

At the beginning of 2018, [Pope] Francis denied overwhelming reports of widespread sexual abuse by priests in Chile. In the face of the resulting outcry, he introduced an investigation that led to every bishop in Chile submitting his resignation; only a few of these were accepted, however.

https://julieroys.com/pope-of-evangelical-conservatism-center-uk-abuse-scandal/

... Jonathan Fletcher has been one of the most influential evangelical figures for decades.

Yet Fletcher, the vicar of the prominent Emmanuel Church Wimbledon, has now been revealed as a serial abuser. And he’s at the center of what one victim has called the “mother of all abuse stories.”

According to a report released this week, Fletcher subjected dozens of young men to ice baths, naked beatings, and sex acts over 30 years. And sadly, though Fletcher’s abuse was known for decades, his church did nothing because, as victims put it, Fletcher was “untouchable.”

The report is the result of a 15-month investigation, conducted by the safeguarding charity Thirtyone:eight, and commissioned by Emmanuel Church Wimbledon (ECW). It describes horrific abuse and has sent shock waves through U.K. society and the Church of England.

After the report published, ECW apologized for its “failure to provide effective internal and external accountability.” Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, reiterated an apology to all victims of church abuse.

The report included the testimony of 27 alleged victims of Fletcher’s. But according to The Telegraph, these victims are likely the “tip of the iceberg.” Together, they give a very sobering account.

“There were reports of naked massages and saunas, forfeits (punishments) including smacking with a gym shoe, and ice baths,” the report states.

In addition, the report included one serious incident of sexual abuse.

“One participant reported that (Fletcher) told him to perform a sex act in front of him and when he did not, (Fletcher) performed the act instead.”

The report concludes, “This behaviour demonstrates a gross abuse of power and in the opinion of the reviewers is far beyond anything which can be deemed acceptable or appropriate from a minister in a position of power, trust, and responsibility.”

Victim Describes Abuse the Church Failed to Address

Lee Furney, the only one of Fletcher’s abuse survivors who’s been willing to reveal his identity, told The Roys Report that he reported Fletcher’s coercive control, spiritual abuse, and unorthodox methods to ECW 20 years ago.

In the early 2000s, Furney was an apprentice to Fletcher and lived in a house with him.

Furney said Fletcher would invite him to play tennis or squash, and afterwards “seemed particularly keen” to get him into the sauna. Furney said Fletcher also repeatedly urged Furney to get a professional massage. Fletcher would use this approach with victims, Furney said, and then suggest giving each other massages to save money.Furney said he responded by laughing in Fletcher’s face. Then, Fletcher became abusive, Furney said. And Furney went from being in Fletcher’s “cubicle of charm” to his “crucible of condemnation.” Furney said Fletcher punished him by isolating and humiliating him, and taking away opportunities to do things like preach.

“I just remember the look on his face. And he was just able to turn his face to be completely intimidating,” Furney said. “And this is the guy that you don’t want to displease because . . . he’s got all of this power over this circle of the church. If you want to leave this church with a job, then you need to please this guy. And not pleasing this guy is going to mean . . . that people are going to think that something has gone wrong with you spiritually speaking.”

Furney said he reported Fletcher’s behavior to ECW staff three or four times while at the church.

At first, he said the church responded by telling him that Fletcher was a “great man” and Furney needed “to settle down.”

Another time, Furney said staff told him that someone had tried to confront Fletcher and it “hadn’t gone very well, so you probably shouldn’t cause a fuss either.”

Then, when Furney heard Fletcher was giving men back rubs and cold baths at the house where they lived, he complained again. At that point, Furney said the church said it would investigate Fletcher, but it never did.

Furney, who now lives in Malawi and works to encourage and equip churches, said ECW and the Church of England did nothing about Fletcher until 2017 when other abuse victims began speaking out.

Only then did the church strip Fletcher of his permission to officiate. Yet according to Furney, Fletcher continued to minister and preach among those he could convince of his innocence.

In 2019, just before the secular press reported Fletcher’s abuse, the church sent Furney a letter concerning the abuse he had experienced decades earlier.

“I can remember reading that and saying to my wife, ‘Something big is happening here. And they’re not saying this to help me out. They’re saying this to cover themselves when their story breaks.’ And lo and behold . . . that was because they knew it was about to break.”

More Abuse & Cover-Up

Fletcher is the second prominent, conservative evangelical in England to be exposed as an abuser in the past several years.

In 2017, Britain’s Channel 4 News broadcast a documentary, revealing that John Smyth—someone whose prominence at one time eclipsed Fletcher’s—had subjected young men to sadomasochistic physical abuse, beginning in the 1970s.

From 1974—1981, Smyth was the chairman of the Iwerne Trust, a group that ran a system of evangelical camps for boys from elite schools throughout England. The purpose of the camps was to develop Christian leaders to serve in prominent positions throughout British society and the church.

Some of those who have attended Iwerne camps include the late theologian John Stott; the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby; and Nicky Gumbel, vicar of one of the largest churches in England and pioneer of the hugely popular Alpha Course.

Yet according to multiple reports that have come out in the past several years, these camps served as centers for grooming and abuse for both Fletcher and Smyth.

Furney, who’s spoken with dozens of Smyth and Fletcher victims, told The Roys Report: “It was said by some of the Smyth victims, that you could look out onto the sports fields, and there would be Smyth with a circle of boys around him— and there would be Fletcher. And they seem to be in competition in order to gather the coterie or their disciples around them.”

In 1982, the Iwerne Trust learned of Smyth’s alleged abuse when one of his victims tried to commit suicide, according to Channel 4 news anchor Cathy Newman.

Newman, who has interviewed numerous Smyth victims, said Smyth “cultivated small groups of followers, over whom he developed a form of psychological control.” Smyth reportedly would invite his favorites to lunch at his home.

“Now in their fifties, (Smyth’s victims) allege Smyth would recite passages of the Bible to them, before beating them with a cane in his garden shed,” Newman said.

In 1982, Iwerne conducted an investigation into Smyth’s alleged abuse and found that the “scale and severity of the practice (spiritually abusive beatings) was horrific . . . eight received about 14,000 beatings: two of them having some 8,000 strokes over three years.”

Yet instead of reporting Smyth to police and publicly exposing him, Iwerne—now the Titus Trust—allowed Smyth to go to Africa to minister. (In 2020—2021, Titus commissioned an independent review of its culture and apologized for “times the Trust has got things wrong.”)

In the 1980s and 90s, Smyth served in Zambesi Ministries, which held summer camps for boys in Zimbabwe. There, Smyth allegedly continued his abuse.

In 1997, Smyth was arrested during an investigation into the drowning of a 16-year-old boy found bruised and naked in a pool at an Anglican prep school in Zimbabwe. Smyth contended that the drowning was an accident, and the homicide investigation was eventually dismissed.

Smyth then moved to South Africa where he ran the Justice Alliance. However, in 2017, after the Channel 4 documentary, the Alliance asked Smyth to step down from leadership.

Though Furney says he and other victims are grateful for the latest investigation and report by Thirtyone:eight, he’s disappointed so far in the church’s response.

On Tuesday, Furney told Channel 4 that he would not respond to an invitation to meet with Archbishop Welby because Welby still had not met with Smyth’s victims. According to Furney, Welby has known about these victims for years, and some of them were even friends of Welby’s from his days at Iwerne camps.

However, Furney told The Roys Report that on Wednesday, Welby responded by offering to meet with Smyth victims.

Furney said the current vicar of Emmanuel Wimbledon Church, the Rev. Robin Weekes, also knew about Fletcher’s abuse. But instead of owning his sin, “he’s written (to) minimize what he knew and not be up front about it—not really showing he cares for victims, try to resist the review for as long as possible.”

In an interview, with Channel 4, Rev. Weekes said he was “truly sorry.”

But when asked if he facilitated abuse, Weekes replied: “I’m not sure I’d want to use the word ‘facilitation’ because that makes it sound like it was deliberate and deliberately complicit. But it is true that we did not listen carefully enough to the voices that were pointing out the wrong things in (Fletcher).”

Furney said church leaders, who knew about Fletcher’s abuse of Furney, have now contacted him—but not to apologize. Instead, they’ve asked Furney if he would get other victims to “stop making such a fuss” on social media.

“We’ve got a lockdown situation,” Furney said, “which means the victims, who always get to do the hard work in these situations, will continue until it becomes clear who has done what.”

Furney added that without appropriate resignations, there will not be restoration.

New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/02/world/
europe/reckoning-starts-in-britain-on-abuse-of-girls.html

'ROTHERHAM, England — It started on the bumper cars in the children’s arcade of the local shopping mall. Lucy was 12, and a group of teenage boys, handsome and flirtatious, treated her and her friends to free rides and ice cream after school.

Over time, older men were introduced to the girls, while the boys faded away. Soon they were getting rides in real cars, and were offered vodka and marijuana. One man in particular, a Pakistani twice her age and the leader of the group, flattered her and bought her drinks and even a mobile phone. Lucy liked him.

The rapes started gradually, once a week, then every day: by the war memorial in Clifton Park, in an alley near the bus station, in countless taxis and, once, in an apartment where she was locked naked in a room and had to service half a dozen men lined up outside.

She obliged. How could she not? They knew where she lived. “If you don’t come back, we will rape your mother and make you watch,” they would say.'