26/11/2024
Statement from lead safeguarding bishop Joanne Grenfell
‘I am pleased that Archbishop Thabo has announced a panel to review the handling by the Anglican Church in South Africa of reports of abuse carried out by the late John Smyth. This is vital work as we continue to respond to the Makin report. The reviewer makes two recommendations relating to abuse by Smyth in Zimbabwe and South Africa and I am glad some of this work is now underway. As we said previously at our General Synod and at the publication of the report, we are committing to progressing this in appropriate ways (noting the recommendation for international information sharing) and to liaise with counterparts abroad as this work begins. We must continue to remember that at the heart of this work were young men whose lives have been damaged by the effects of Smyths abuse, and in one case a boy died.”
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba: Archbishop announces panel to review handling of abuse reports