The sister of a 16-year-old boy who tragically drowned while swimming naked at a Christian holiday camp in Zimbabwe, run by child abuser John Smyth, holds the Church of England responsible for his death. Edith Nyachuru blames the Church for not stopping Smyth, stating that if they had intervened, her brother Guide Nyachuru would still be alive. Smyth, a British barrister, moved to Zimbabwe with his family in 1984 after being involved in abusive practices at Christian holiday camps in the UK. Despite reports of severe abuse, Smyth continued his harmful behavior in Zimbabwe, leading to Guide’s untimely death at the camp. Ms. Nyachuru describes Guide as a beloved and talented young man, shocked by the circumstances of his death and the lack of attention from camp staff. Smyth’s fixation on nakedness at his camps further highlights the disturbing nature of his actions. Camp attendees have shared accounts of him frequently parading around naked in the boys’ dormitories, where he also slept, unlike other staff members. He would shower naked with them in the communal showers and forbid the boys from wearing underpants in bed. According to a former student who attended a camp in 1991, he promoted nudity and encouraged the boys to walk around naked at the summer camp. Despite his jovial demeanor, he would often walk around the dorms and shower area wearing only a towel slung over his shoulder.
He gave talks on masturbation, occasionally led prayers in the nude, and advocated for naked trampolining, which he referred to as “flappy jumping”. An investigation by Zimbabwean lawyer David Coltart in 1993 revealed that Smyth was administering severe beatings to boys with a table tennis bat, known as “TTB”. One parent sought Coltart’s help after her son returned from a camp with severe bruises on his buttocks from the beatings.
Smyth was known for his aggressive and intimidating behavior during meetings with Coltart, who eventually instructed him to cease the Zambesi Ministries camps. Despite Coltart’s efforts, Smyth defended his actions in a letter to parents, portraying himself as a father figure to the camp and justifying the nudity and corporal punishment.
Coltart’s report, published in October 1993, highlighted the disturbing behavior of Smyth and advised that he should not work with children. Though the report was not widely publicized to avoid a defamation lawsuit, it effectively halted Smyth’s activities in Zimbabwe. Los campamentos de Zambesi Ministries continuaron de alguna manera, pero no en las escuelas ni bajo el liderazgo de Smyth. Coltart luego instruyó a otro bufete de abogados para emprender un caso legal contra Smyth, quien eventualmente fue acusado de homicidio culposo por la muerte de Guide, así como de cargos relacionados con las palizas. Pero, según el ex productor de televisión de la BBC Andrew Graystone en su libro de 2021 sobre el abuso, el caso estuvo lleno de problemas, faltaban documentos policiales y la destreza legal de Smyth llevó a que el fiscal fuera removido, sin que se nombrara a otro, por lo que el caso fue prácticamente archivado en 1997.