Simon Doggart

Simon Jonathon Graham Doggart (8 February 1961 – 23 July 2017) was an English first-class cricketer and headmaster, and a co-abuser in the Church of England John Smyth abuse of young men scandal.

Biography

Born in Winchester, Hampshire, Doggart was educated at Winchester College (1974-79) and Magdalene College, Cambridge. He was in the school cricket first XI for three years, and the captain in his last, also playing for the school racquets first pair.

He represented Cambridge University as a left-handed batsman in 35 first-class matches between 1980 and 1983. He was awarded four blues. His grandfather Graham Doggart, great-uncle James Hamilton Doggart, father Hubert Doggart and uncle Peter Doggart all played first-class cricket.

After leaving Cambridge he taught in Kenya (1983-85) and at Tonbridge School (1985-89), a spell working in recruitment (1989-92), before becoming a teacher again. He was appointed headmaster of Caldicott School in Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire.

He was also a Governor at Harrow School, who appointed him as the Governor with safeguarding responsibilities (see Makin Review at 15.1.27).

The Makin Review and Doggart's abuse of young men

In February 2017, it was revealed that a former mentor of his, John Smyth, had sadistically violently beaten public school pupils in the 1970s and 1980s. Doggart announced in February 2017 that he intended, at the age of 56, to resign as headmaster of Caldicott School in July 2017. In April 2017, it was alleged that Doggart had been a victim of Smyth's abusive beatings as a young man; he had then gone on and also administered severe beatings alongside Smyth. In May 2017, the school announced that Doggart was to be replaced as headmaster by Theroshene Naidoo, due to ill health.

Doggart died on 23 July 2017 in East Wittering, Chichester, England.

The subsequent Church of England Makin Review (18 October 2024) found that Doggart was actively involved in this abuse, noting that by 1982 Doggart "began to be actively involved and carrying out abuse unassisted by John Smyth" (see paragraph 12.1.14).

According to a contemporaneous document seen by the Makin Review as attempts began to be made to investigate and address this abuse (DCMF 9, March 1982, Makin Review page 77), the practice of beatings began in 1978, but from summer 1979 it gradually escalated in frequency and severity of beatings, and the number of victims involved. This document records that “the scale and severity of the practice was horrific” and that “the beatings were with garden canes, with some sort of handle.” It records Doggart’s particular enthusiasm (by this point being a Cambridge cricket Blue):

“S, wanting ‘to be the best for God’ beat as hard as he could.” (DCMF 9, paragraph 6)

The Makin Review's chronology of events shows that Doggart was particularly active in the abuse from 1980 onwards, after he had left Winchester, e.g. in June 1980 a victim’s first experience of abuse was by Smyth with a cane, “after being encouraged to do so by Doggart”.

Further such incidents are recorded as taking place in March and April 1981, including Smyth and Doggart abusing a victim at the Iwerne Summer Camp in August 1981. This includes what the Makin Review describes at paragraph 11.3.54 as “the most severe physical abuse event reported to the Review was carried out there, immediately after camp had finished. … This event is said to have involved an astounding 800 lashings in one day”.

By September 1981, the Makin Review records that “John Smyth and Simon Doggart began to wear 'uniforms' of white singlet, shorts and flip flops when administering physical abuse to victims.”

In November 1981 Doggart and Smyth visited victims while they were on holiday in Europe.

The Makin Review states at 11.3.58 that “It is clear from the information considered in this Review that Simon Doggart was groomed and abused by John Smyth and later became involved in perpetrating abuse. He was particularly used by John Smyth to recruit young men from universities to be abused. Simon Doggart died in 2017 shortly after the abuse was investigated by Channel 4 and we were therefore unable to meet with him as part of this process.”

The chronology refers to correspondence dated 24 December 2014 (and phone calls through to March 2015) confirming that the Hampshire Police had been informed on 30 September 2014 of Doggart’s role in the abuse, “including his work in a school”, and were considering especially whether victims had been under 18 years of age (Makin Review, 14.3.63). A total of five police forces were told of the abuse between 2013 and the end of 2016 (see Makin Review at 14.3.69).

On 12 November 2024, following publication of the Makin Review, Justin Welby announced his intention to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury; this report was critical of the Church's handling of allegations of abuse committed by the barrister John Smyth, aided and abetted by Doggart, and was also critical of Welby's failure to investigate the allegations.

External links

• Cricinfo
• Cricket Archive
• Caldicott School