A veteran South African barrister has resigned after allegations of sexual abuse were brought against him. The allegations against Jeremy Gauntlett came after he was one of three people appointed to investigate whether the late John Smyth engaged in sexual abuse while living in South Africa in the last years of his life.
The Smyth case had already prompted Justin Welby to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury. One of Welby’s predecessors, George Carey, later surrendered his Permission to Officiate because of allegations that he did not act against the Rev. David Tudor, who was barred from the ministry after an investigation by the Diocese of Southwark.
In Gauntlett’s case, the General Council of the Bar of South Africa has asked the Johannesburg Society of Advocates to investigate.
Hylton White, a senior lecturer in social anthropology at the University of Witwatersrand, says that Gauntlett initiated sex with him during a hike in the countryside. He described other sexual encounters with Gauntlett.
White said he made previous efforts to alert the Anglican Church of Southern Africa to his concerns.
“I have used certain private channels to alert the Anglican Church in South Africa to the fact that Jeremy Gauntlett is not of a fit character to assess this matter. These have been ignored,” White said.
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba made a statement on January 18 that acknowledged the allegations against Gauntlett. He said Gauntlett offered to resign from the team investigating charges against Smyth. The other two appointees investigating the Smyth case are former Supreme Court of Appeal judge Ian Farlam and former University of Cape Town vice chancellor Dr. Mamphela Ramphele.
“I accepted his offer, subject to consultation with other members of the panel. As someone whose handling of the Smyth matter is being investigated by the panel, I have kept a distance from its work but felt that in the circumstances I needed to take this step,” Makgoba said.
“I held those consultations at Bishopscourt in Cape Town today, and have accepted Advocate Gauntlett’s offer on the well-recognized principle in the law that even the appearance of a conflict of interest can be enough to trigger a recusal from a matter. Justice Farlam and Dr. Ramphele have accepted Advocate Gauntlett’s decision with regret, and have agreed that they will continue the Panel’s inquiry to completion. It is expected that this will be accomplished shortly.”
Douglas LeBlanc is the Associate Editor for Book Reviews and writes about Christianity and culture. He and his wife, Monica, attend St. John’s Parish Church on Johns Island, South Carolina.