Statement from victims of the Titus Trust and John Smyth QC
4th April 2020
We call for the Titus Trust to cease its activities immediately, and to disband
Yesterday the Titus Trust issued a statement following the settlement of three civil claims in respect of abuse by John Smyth QC. The statement comes no less than eight years after a victim of Smyth bravely came forward to inform the trust of the appalling legacy of abuse upon which their organisation is built. It is an astonishing 38 years since the leaders of the Iwerne network were first made aware of the criminal nature of this horrific abuse.
When the abuse came to light, the trustees of the Titus Trust, who now run the Iwerne network, did everything they could to protect their own interests. They did not offer care and support to the victims. They refused to cooperate with an independent inquiry. If the Titus Trust had been open and transparent with what they knew years ago, John Smyth could have been brought to justice. Instead they repeatedly blanked the victims, refusing to speak with us and denying any responsibility. Perhaps we should not have expected them to act with care or candour, since some of most senior members of the network had been complicit in concealing the abuse for 38 years.
In the face of this intransigence we felt compelled to take action against the Titus Trust, so that they would be forced to confront their responsibilities. Even so, the trust has spent eye-watering sums of money fighting our claims – many times the amount they have offered us in settlement. We are pleased that they have finally issued a limited apology for their recent behaviour, but we note that none of those responsible has resigned. They have not acknowledged the historic cover-up. There is no evidence that the culture of moral superiority, exclusivity and secrecy that has pervaded the network for decades has changed in any way.
Those of us who suffered as victims of John Smyth through our contacts with the Iwerne network simply want to uncover the truth. We want an accurate narrative of the abuse and its cover-up, not just for our own sakes, but for the sake of scores of victims of Smyth in Africa, and for the sake of those young people who even today come under the toxic influence of this network. John Smyth is only one of several abusers known to us who have been closely associated with the Iwerne camps network over many years. Events of recent years lead us to believe that there are still some within the Titus network who value their own reputations more than they care about the children they work with. Shockingly, some of those are ordained clergy in the Church of England. Such attitudes should have no place in any organisation working with children.
The Titus Trust has consistently said that they were not prepared to take part in the Church of England’s Makin Review into John Smyth whilst litigation was outstanding. Now that this settlement has been reached, that excuse is gone, and we urge the trustees and all those involved in the Iwerne network to cooperate fully with the Makin Review, and the other reviews being held into abuse by John Smyth and Jonathan Fletcher.
A culture that has resisted reform in the face of overwhelming evidence of damage over many years is beyond reform. It is our wholehearted belief that in the light of these events the Titus Trust and its work should cease immediately.
To those within and beyond the Titus/Iwerne network who have come to understand that they too are victims of abuse, we urge you to take courage and seek help outside the network.
Issued on behalf of victims of the Titus Trust and John Smyth QC
Let us hope that there is a speedy resolution of this ghastly chapter in English evangelical history. It should be honest, just and reparative as much as may be possible. And, following that resolution, a long hard look at how things are done will be necessary (whether or not the Titus Trust continues to exist). I believe there is a fundamental issue which needs to be addressed.
Assuming those on the Titus Trust are sincerely attempting to use their gifts and particular connections with upper tier English public schools in the service of the Christian gospel, is their overtly class based model for reaching young privileged boys and girls for Christ justifiable? Is it right to encourage a kind of ‘separate development’ among Christians which can only embed social segregation in Christ’s church here in England? It is certainly not the kind of approach for which there is evidence in the New Testament.
On the other hand perhaps we wouldn’t raise an objection against selection if it were a Christian endeavour to reach drug addicts or children on poor inner city estates. So we have also to beware questioning something merely because it involves people of privilege!
Perhaps it would be good to see the Titus Trust (or any similar future organisation) develop a strategy for enabling young people to mix across social boundaries rather than keep within them. I don’t underestimate the tricky nature of achieving such a thing. Children from privileged backgrounds are in some sense caged by their accent, attitude and experience: they will be misfits in many of the social situations which are normal to the majority of children – more confident and sophisticated in some ways, but more naive and less streetwise in other ways. With the best will in the world, they may find it almost impossible to relate across boundaries.
That is sad and, in the whole Christian family, it should not be like that. Perhaps it is time to step out of what will have been a comfort zone for this particular group far too long. It’s not about social engineering; it’s more about ensuring that Christian children of all backgrounds and abilities learn to be relaxed in each other’s company and are able to offer their own unique gifts without misunderstanding or resentment. It would certainly be a stepping out in faith compared to the security of operating within familiar parameters!