(Source : BBC) A senior member of the Church of England has called for the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to resign following a scathing report into the abuse of dozens of young men by a prolific child abuser linked to the Church. Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley of Newcastle is the highest-ranking Church official to publicly demand Welby step down, describing his position as “untenable” in light of the findings.
The call for resignation comes after a report into the Church’s handling of abuse by John Smyth QC, a former barrister and Anglican lay leader, revealed that the Church had failed to act on reports of his “horrific” abuse of over 100 boys and young men. Smyth, who died in 2018, is believed to be one of the most prolific abusers ever linked to the Church of England, having subjected up to 130 victims to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse over nearly five decades across multiple countries.
A damning new report has revealed that the Church of England covered up the horrific abuse of more than 100 children and young men by British barrister John Smyth QC, one of the most prolific serial abusers in the Church’s history. Smyth, who died in 2018, subjected his victims to traumatic physical, sexual, and psychological abuse over several decades, with much of it taking place in the 1970s and 1980s.
Smyth, ran Christian camps for young men, was accused of inflicting violent corporal punishment on boys, including 14,000 lashes with a garden cane. He targeted pupils from leading schools, including Winchester College, and later took his abuse to Africa, where he continued his actions in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Despite an internal report on Smyth’s abuse in 1982, the Church failed to notify authorities, allowing Smyth to move abroad and continue his predatory behavior. The independent review, led by Keith Makin, concluded that the Church had multiple opportunities to report Smyth to the police, but chose not to.
The Church’s internal review, known as the Makin review, revealed that Church leaders, including Welby, were aware of the allegations as early as 2013 but failed to take appropriate action. Despite the existence of credible reports detailing Smyth’s abuse, the Church did not alert authorities, and Smyth was allowed to relocate to Africa, where he continued to abuse young victims in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
In response to the report, Bishop Hartley told the BBC, “It’s very hard to find the words to respond adequately to what the report tells us. Can we really trust the Church of England to keep us safe? The answer at the moment is ‘no.’” She went on to say that the Church risks losing its moral authority and credibility over its handling of the abuse cases, adding that Welby’s resignation would be a step toward rebuilding trust and demonstrating a commitment to reform.
While the Archbishop has acknowledged his failure to act more decisively in 2013, he has rejected calls for his resignation. Welby said last week that he had considered stepping down but decided against it. He expressed deep regret over the abuse and its concealment, which allowed Smyth to continue his actions. “I had no idea or suspicion of this abuse before 2013,” Welby stated in an apology. “I am deeply sorry that this abuse happened and that concealment by many people meant that John Smyth was able to abuse overseas.”
However, the call for Welby’s resignation is gaining momentum within the Church. A petition started by three members of the Church’s General Synod, its legislative body, had gathered more than 1,500 signatures by Monday morning. The petition reads: “Given his role in allowing abuse to continue, we believe that his continuing as the Archbishop of Canterbury is no longer tenable.”
Anglican priest Giles Fraser also weighed in, telling BBC Radio 4, “Given the scale of the failures and the way the abuse was allowed to continue, the Archbishop really [had] to go.” Fraser, who revealed he had been a victim of abuse at a young age, said, “The idea that people continued to be abused after the Church knew what was happening is disgraceful.”
Meanwhile, the Church’s lead safeguarding bishop, the Rt Rev Joanne Grenfell, has praised Welby’s apology but stopped short of endorsing calls for his resignation. She acknowledged his efforts over the years to reform the Church’s safeguarding practices, but some within the Church argue that these efforts have not been enough.
The Makin review has put a spotlight on the Church’s mishandling of abuse allegations, revealing that Smyth’s victims were failed at every turn by institutional leaders. Survivors, as well as many within the Church, are demanding greater accountability and structural changes to ensure such abuse is never allowed to happen again.
As the controversy continues to unfold, the Church faces an uncertain future, with its leadership under intense scrutiny and pressure to take meaningful action for the sake of victims and to restore public trust.
