In early February, abuse allegations from the 1970s came to light about a leader at the Iwerne camps, now run by The Titus Trust.
Children from certain public and independent schools were invited to attend Christian camps as they were seen to be the most likely people to take up positions of power within British society. But some were, it has been alleged, exposed to extreme beatings at the hand of a camp leader, John Smyth.
Interviews with those who suffered abuse from Smyth were included in two recent Channel 4 News programmes. Documents were shown that had been drawn up by the Church of England in the 1980s, when allegations had come to light detailing the beatings individuals had received at the home of Smyth. Some were so wounded they had had to wear a sort of nappy to stem the bleeding. The police were never shown the documents, and Smyth was never prosecuted.
