BULAWAYO – Mayor David Coltart has confirmed that his law firm, Webb, Low and Barry, is working with international human rights lawyers in a major civil case seeking justice for Zimbabwean victims of the late British barrister and evangelical leader John Smyth, whose horrifying abuses during the 1980s and 1990s were covered up by the Church of England.
Smyth, a prominent Christian barrister in the UK, ran secretive “discipleship” camps for boys in both Britain and Zimbabwe, where he subjected them to brutal physical and psychological abuse. His practices included severe beatings, forced nudity, humiliation rituals, and sexually suggestive behavior masquerading as religious discipline.
According to multiple investigations, including the 2024 Makin Review commissioned by the Church of England, senior church leaders were aware of Smyth’s violent conduct in the UK as early as 1982 but chose to conceal it rather than report him to authorities. Instead, they facilitated his relocation to Zimbabwe, effectively allowing him to continue abusing minors in Africa under the guise of Christian mentorship.
The review concluded that Church officials treated Smyth as “a problem solved and exported to Africa.” The revelations sparked outrage across the Anglican Communion, leading to the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury and disciplinary proceedings against several senior clergy.
Smyth’s abuses continued in Zimbabwe throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. His camps attracted boys from elite schools who believed they were attending leadership and faith-building retreats. Instead, they became victims of a sinister regime of “punishment sessions” and “confession rituals.”
One of the victims, Guide Nyachuru, a 16-year-old boy, tragically died at a camp in 1992 under suspicious circumstances. His death was initially hushed up, with no proper investigation conducted at the time.
David Coltart’s Law Firm Assists Zimbabwean Victims in Landmark Abuse Case Against Church of England
Seven Zimbabwean claimants — six male survivors who were teenagers at the time and the mother of the late Guide Nyachuru — have now instructed UK law firm Leigh Day to file a legal claim against the Church of England in British courts.
The claim, supported locally by David Coltart’s firm Webb, Low and Barry, accuses the Church of gross negligence and institutional complicity, alleging that senior clergy and officers knowingly concealed Smyth’s crimes and enabled his move to Zimbabwe, where he continued to harm more children.
The letter of claim submitted by Leigh Day details years of appalling abuse. Survivors recount being beaten with table tennis and jokari bats until they bled, forced to strip naked, subjected to groping, and coerced into humiliating discussions about masturbation and sexual purity. Smyth often framed these punishments as “atonement for sin.”
The lawsuit seeks not only financial compensation but also a full public apology from the Church and an independent inquiry into Smyth’s activities in Zimbabwe and South Africa, where he later operated similar camps before his death in 2018.
The survivors are determined that their suffering will not be ignored again. Rocky Leanders, one of Smyth’s former students, described how decades of silence deepened his trauma.
“We were boys who trusted our church and our mentors. They betrayed that trust in the most horrific way,” Leanders said. “The Church knew what kind of man Smyth was and still sent him to us. They chose their reputation over our lives.”
Edith Nyachuru, sister of Guide Nyachuru, said her family had lived with unanswered questions for more than 30 years.
“My brother went to a church camp and never came home,” she said. “We were told it was an accident, but we always knew something was wrong. Now we want the truth, justice, and an apology for every child who suffered.”
Leigh Day solicitor Rebekah Read, representing the claimants, said the case goes beyond compensation — it is about holding powerful institutions accountable for enabling systemic abuse.
“For decades, the Church of England failed to protect vulnerable boys from a man they knew was dangerous,” Read said. “They prioritised their image and authority over the safety of children. This case is about truth, justice, and ensuring such a cover-up can never happen again.”
Bulawayo mayor David Coltart said his firm’s role in the case was to provide local legal support and documentation for the Zimbabwean victims.
“This is a deeply painful chapter in Zimbabwe’s history that intersects with international accountability,” David Coltart explained. “Our role is to ensure that these survivors are heard and that justice is finally served — no matter how long it takes.”
The Makin Review’s publication earlier this year sent shockwaves through the Anglican community worldwide. It confirmed that Smyth’s abuses had been deliberately concealed by senior church figures, who feared public scandal.
The report’s findings prompted immediate resignations and renewed scrutiny of how religious institutions handle sexual and physical abuse claims. Advocates say the Zimbabwe case could become a landmark precedent for holding international churches accountable for crimes exported to the Global South.For the victims, however, the fight is personal.
“This is not about money,” said one survivor. “It’s about making sure the world knows what they did to us — and ensuring no other child suffers the same fate.”
As legal proceedings advance in the UK, Zimbabwe’s involvement marks a powerful reminder of the lasting global consequences of institutional abuse — and the resilience of survivors who refuse to stay silent any longer.
Source- Bulawayo24
