Channel 4 has commissioned a hard-hitting documentary on serial abuser John Smyth, putting the broadcaster back in investigative mode and back in the crosshairs of institutional accountability.
The project comes via Passion Pictures and will track decades of unchecked abuse by Smyth, a barrister and Christian leader whose violence was hidden behind closed doors, and protected by senior figures within the Church of England. Survivors, whistleblowers, and former allies will speak on record, many for the first time.
Smyth’s crimes span continents, beginning in elite UK circles before moving into religious camps in southern Africa. The abuse was systematic. The cover-up ran deep. And the damage, according to Channel 4 insiders, is still unfolding.
The film will detail how Church leaders concealed allegations, failed to act on internal warnings, and ultimately left victims without support. A posthumous review confirmed that senior officials shielded Smyth for years, culminating in the resignation of Archbishop Justin Welby.
Anna Miralis, Senior Commissioning Editor at Channel 4, called the film part of the network’s remit to tackle silence and power. Passion Pictures’ Hamish Fergusson said the team had secured extensive access and were building the story around survivor testimony and hard-won evidence.
Expect more than just a biography of a predator. This is about the system that enabled him, and the people determined to expose it.
