Edith Nyachuru blames the Church of England for the tragic death of her 16-year-old brother, who drowned while swimming naked at a Christian holiday camp in Zimbabwe run by John Smyth, a known child abuser. Nyachuru believes that if the Church had taken action against Smyth, her brother would still be alive. Smyth, a British barrister, had a history of abusing boys at Christian camps in the UK before moving to Zimbabwe in 1984. Despite previous reports of his abusive behavior, Smyth continued to run camps in Zimbabwe, where he meted out similar punishments to young boys. Nyachuru describes her brother as a beloved and talented young man, who tragically lost his life at a camp organized by Smyth. She recalls the shock and confusion surrounding his death, further highlighting the disturbing events that took place at Smyth’s camps. Attendees at the camp have recounted instances where he would frequently walk around without clothes in the boys’ dormitories, where he also slept, unlike other staff members. He would also join them in showering naked in the communal showers and instructed the boys not to wear underpants while in bed. A former student who attended a camp at Ruzawi in 1991 shared with the BBC that he promoted nudity and encouraged the boys to roam around naked at the summer camp. Despite his casual and jovial demeanor, he would often be seen strolling through the dorms and shower area wearing only a towel slung over his shoulder. The reason given for the no-underwear rule was that it would help the boys grow, he recalled.
As a British lawyer, John Smyth was well-regarded in Zimbabwe. Smyth was known to give talks on masturbation, lead prayers in the nude, and advocate for activities like naked trampolining, which he called “flappy jumping” – all behaviors documented in an investigation by Zimbabwean lawyer David Coltart in May 1993. It was the beatings with a table tennis bat, known as “TTB”, that caught Coltart’s attention, prompting a parent to seek his advice after her son returned from the camp with severe bruises.
Forty-four-year-old Jason Leanders, who attended the camp following Guide’s death, revealed that he was subjected to multiple beatings a day by Smyth, who would check his pants to ensure he wasn’t wearing extra layers to cushion the blows. Despite the brutal treatment, Leanders toughened up, as was often expected of boys in such environments. Former Zimbabwean cricketer Henry Olonga, who was present at the camp the night Guide died, shared in his autobiography that corporal punishment was seen as normal for boarding school students.
After Coltart uncovered the Rushton report, which highlighted the severity of the situation, he instructed Smyth to cease the Zambesi Ministries camps. Smyth’s focus on boys, grooming of young men, and encouragement of nude activities raised concerns for Coltart, who found it challenging to deal with Smyth’s aggressive and intimidating demeanor. Rather than comply with Coltart’s requests, Smyth defended his actions in a letter to parents and described himself as a father figure to the camp, justifying nudity and corporal punishment.
Despite Coltart’s efforts, Smyth continued to resist and even admitted to taking photos of naked boys, claiming they were for publicity purposes. Two psychologists consulted by Coltart recommended that Smyth should not work with children. Coltart’s report, published in October 1993 and shared with school heads and church leaders in Zimbabwe, had a significant impact on Smyth’s activities in the country. Los campamentos de Zambesi Ministries continuaron de alguna manera, pero no en escuelas ni bajo el liderazgo de Smyth. Coltart luego instruyó a otro bufete de abogados para emprender un caso legal contra Smyth, quien finalmente fue acusado de homicidio culposo por la muerte de Guide, así como de cargos relacionados con las golpizas. Sin embargo, según el ex productor de televisión de la BBC Andrew Graystone en su libro de 2021 sobre el abuso, el caso estuvo plagado de problemas, documentos policiales faltantes y la destreza legal de Smyth llevó a que el fiscal fuera removido, y otro nunca fue designado, por lo que el caso fue prácticamente archivado en 1997.