UNITED KINGDOM
Christian Post
BY FELIX N. CODILLA III, CHRISTIAN POST CONTRIBUTOR
Mar 7, 2017
The police in Hampshire, England are investigating a British barrister for sadistically beating teenage boys in Christian summer camps that he ran in the past five decades. Suspect John Smythe, 75, has spent that past three decades in South Africa, but is now reportedly in Bristol to face the accusations against him.
Dozens of victims, mostly in their 50s, have come forward to tell their ordeal under Smythe. One of them is Christian author Mark Stibbe, now 56. He recalled the time when he was 17 back in the ’70s and he first received a whipping for committing the sin of masturbation.
“I remember being so appalled by how vicious the first lash was that I couldn’t scream,” he told New York Times. “You’re in this tiny shed full of canes with this man. I felt utterly powerless,” he added. Stibbe received at least 30 more floggings that left him bleeding and collapsed on the floor.
Based on accounts, Smythe lured his victims from Winchester College, a top private school in Britain. He invited them to join a summer camp run by Iwerne Trust which he chaired at that time. He would befriend the boys who were yearning for a father figure in boarding school and gain their trust.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.