Why the Makin Review Is Important
This page explains what the Makin Review is, what it found and why it matters if you are considering making an application under the Church of England Redress Scheme.
The Makin Review is the independent investigation into how the Church of England responded to the abuse committed by John Smyth. Published on 7 November 2024, it is one of the most significant reports ever produced into Church safeguarding failures. Its findings have shaped public understanding of those failures and helped drive the creation of the Church of England Redress Scheme.
What Is the Makin Review?
The Makin Review is an independent investigation into the Church of England's handling of the serious sexual, physical and psychological abuse committed by the late John Smyth. Its full title is the Independent Learning Lessons Review into John Smyth QC.
The review was commissioned by the Church of England's National Safeguarding Team in August 2019. It was led by Keith Makin, a former director of social services, with support from Sarah Lawrence. Their role was to examine what happened, establish what the Church knew about Smyth's abuse, and identify the lessons that needed to be learned.
The final report is extensive, running to 253 pages with several hundred pages of supporting appendices. It was published on 7 November 2024.
If you would like to read the full report, it is available on the Church of England website.
What Did the Makin Review Find?
The review describes John Smyth as "arguably the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church of England".
The findings below summarise the review's published conclusions.
How Many People Did John Smyth Abuse?
The review found that John Smyth abused between 115 and 130 boys and young men over several decades. His abuse began in England during the mid-1970s, where he gained access to victims through Winchester College and the Iwerne Christian holiday camps for boys from leading public schools.
After concerns emerged in England, Smyth moved to Zimbabwe in 1984 before later relocating to South Africa. The review found that he continued abusing young people overseas for many years. It also records, alongside wider reporting, that one teenage victim died in Zimbabwe following abuse.
The report contains detailed descriptions of the abuse. Because this page is intended for survivors, we have deliberately avoided repeating those accounts here. However, the full account is available to read, should you wish.
What Did the Church Know that Abuse Was Happening?
The review found that the abuse had already been documented in 1982. A report prepared by Reverend Mark Ruston recorded what Smyth had done. According to the Makin Review, those who received the report failed to pass it to the police or other statutory authorities.
Instead, the review concluded that there was an active cover-up within parts of the conservative evangelical networks connected to Smyth.
The report found that these failures allowed Smyth to leave England and continue abusing children and young people overseas for many years afterwards.
John Smyth died in Cape Town in August 2018 before he could face criminal proceedings.
What Did the Review Say About Justin Welby?
The review examined when the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, became aware of the allegations. It concluded that he was informed in August 2013 and that the Church's senior leadership failed to ensure the allegations were properly reported to the police and safeguarding authorities at that time.
The review found that a stronger response in 2013 may have led to Smyth facing justice during his lifetime. Mr Welby has consistently maintained that he knew nothing about the abuse before 2013. The review considered that unlikely given his connections with the relevant church networks, although Mr Welby has publicly disputed that conclusion.
We include both the review's findings and Mr Welby's response for completeness.
What Happened After the Makin Review?
One of the most significant consequences of the review was the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Why Did Justin Welby Resign?
On 12 November 2024, five days after publication of the report, Justin Welby announced that he would resign, saying he was taking both personal and institutional responsibility for the Church's historic safeguarding failures and expressing a profound sense of shame.
His resignation took effect in January 2025. It was an unprecedented moment. No previous Archbishop of Canterbury had resigned in similar circumstances.
What Did the Makin Review Recommend?
The review made 35 recommendations, including eight key recommendations supported by a further 27 detailed proposals.
Among the main themes were:
- stronger independent safeguarding oversight, clearer accountability for senior church leaders, improved whistleblowing arrangements and better record keeping
- more trauma-informed support for survivors, consideration of mandatory reporting of abuse, and independent investigation of Smyth's activities in Zimbabwe and South Africa
The Church of England has since established a programme to respond to these recommendations.
Why the Makin Review Matters to Survivors
For survivors, the significance of the Makin Review goes beyond John Smyth's case. The review placed the Church of England's safeguarding failures firmly on the public record through an investigation commissioned by the Church itself. It documented mistakes that many survivors had spoken about for years.
The Makin Review did not create the Church of England Redress Scheme, and the scheme is not limited to survivors connected with John Smyth. However, reports such as the Makin Review, together with the wider Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), demonstrated the need for the Church to acknowledge past failures and provide a formal route to redress.
The redress scheme forms part of that wider response. The Makin Review also sits alongside other important work examining safeguarding failures within the Church, including the findings of IICSA.
The Makin Review matters to the survivors I work with because it put the failures on the public record, in the Church's own review, not in dispute. The redress scheme exists in part because reviews like this one made clear that acknowledgement and reparation were overdue. When someone applies, they are not asking the Church for a favour. They are using a scheme the Church accepted it needed to build.
Stacey Flegg, Church of England Redress Scheme specialist at Winston Solicitors
Was John Smyth ever convicted of these offences?
No. John Smyth died in Cape Town, South Africa, in August 2018, before any criminal trial. The Makin Review found that earlier action by the Church, in particular after 2013, might have led to him facing justice in his lifetime.
Who is Keith Makin?
Keith Makin is an independent reviewer and a former director of social services. He led the review into the Church of England’s handling of the John Smyth case, supported by Sarah Lawrence. Neither reviewer worked for the Church, which is why the report is described as independent.
Do I need to have read the Makin Review to apply for redress?
No. The Makin Review is context and background, not part of the application. Winston Solicitors can explain the review if it helps you, but your redress application will be assessed under the scheme’s own rules, whether or not you have read the report.
How can I read the full Makin Review?
The full report is published on the Church of England website. It is long and contains detailed accounts of abuse, so read it in your own time and with support if you need it. Winston Solicitors can talk through what it says without you having to read the whole document.
What is the difference between the Makin Review and the IICSA inquiry?
The Makin Review looked specifically at the Church of England’s handling of John Smyth’s abuse. IICSA, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, was a much broader national inquiry that examined child sexual abuse across many institutions in England and Wales, including the Anglican Church. We cover the IICSA findings separately in this section.
Does the Makin Review name the people responsible?
The review identifies church officers it found were aware of the abuse and did not act, and it describes an active cover-up. It is a learning-lessons review rather than a criminal or disciplinary process, so it sets out findings and lessons rather than criminal verdicts. We are careful on this page to report only what the published review establishes.
Will the Makin Review be used as evidence in my redress claim?
No. The Makin Review is a general review of the Church’s handling of one case, not evidence about your individual situation. Your redress application is assessed on your own account and the scheme’s rules. Winston Solicitors can explain how the scheme weighs the evidence you do provide.
Support Available to You
Reading about abuse can be difficult. These organisations are independent of Winston Solicitors and independent of any redress claim. You do not need to be making a claim to contact them.
- Samaritans: 116 123, free, 24 hours a day, every day.
- NAPAC (National Association for People Abused in Childhood): 0808 801 0331.
- Safe Spaces, the independent support service for survivors of Church-related abuse: 0300 303 1056.
What to Do Next
You do not need to have any connection with the John Smyth case, or with the Makin Review itself, to apply under the Church of England Redress Scheme.
Whether you are eligible depends on the scheme's own rules, including the abuse you experienced and its connection with the Church of England.
The scheme is not yet open for applications. Although the Abuse Redress Rules 2026 were approved by General Synod on 14 July 2026, they are still awaiting final parliamentary approval.
When applications open, Winston Solicitors will be ready to help survivors through the process. You can register your interest now and we'll let you know as soon as it becomes available.
You can also complete our free Church of England Redress Scheme calculator, which will give you an idea of what kind of compensation you may be awarded.
If reading about the Makin Review has brought up difficult memories or emotions, please consider contacting one of the independent support organisations listed below. You are also welcome to speak with Stacey whenever you feel ready.
Reviewed by Stacey Flegg, Church of England Redress Scheme specialist at Winston Solicitors.
| Report published | 7 November 2024 |
| Page last reviewed | 17 July 2026 |
