Archbishop of Canterbury resigns - live: Welby quits as he admits ‘profound shame’ over church child sex abuse
The Archbishop of Canterbury has resigned after a damning report found he failed to alert police about sexual abuse allegations made against a barrister associated with the Church of England.
Justin Welby had been facing growing pressure to stand down over his "failures" to alert authorities about John Smyth QC's "abhorrent" abuse of children and young men.
Smyth is said to have subjected as many as 130 boys and young men to traumatic physical, sexual and psychological abuse over five decades in the UK and Africa.
Mr Welby was made aware of the allegations in 2013 - but did not report them to police after he was told authorities had already been notified.
The Makin review into Smyth's abuse, published last week, concluded that he might have been brought to justice had Mr Welby formally reported it to police.
Mr Welby has said it was "very clear I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024."
He said: "The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England. I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England."
I was the first person to out serial abuser John Smyth – but I wish Justin Welby hadn't resignedWhen the world was reeling from the appalling revelations about Jimmy Savile in 2012, almost as shocking as his abuse was that so many good people had known about it and said nothing.
Years earlier, I had been told that John Smyth, the glamorous, upright Christian barrister I'd known from a distance since I was a child, had committed acts of unimaginable brutality against teenage boys. Immediately, I contacted a clergyman who knew Smyth better than I, and who knew someone I feared might be a victim. He reassured me there was nothing to worry about: he would have known.
Should I have believed him? Absolutely not. Do I wish I'd done more? Absolutely I do.
Anne Atkins writes...
I outed serial abuser John Smyth – but I wish Justin Welby hadn't resigned So many people knew about John Smyth's legacy of abuse and did nothing. Why then did everyone gun for the Archbishop of Canterbury, asks Anne Atkins Alex Croft Recap: Our full report on Justin Welby's resignationThe Archbishop of Canterbury has resigned after a damning report exposed a "conspiracy of silence" around a barrister thought to have been the most prolific abuser associated with the Church of England.
Justin Welby had come under growing pressure to stand down over his "failures" to alert authorities about John Smyth QC's "abhorrent" abuse of children and young men.
On Tuesday, Dr Welby said it was "very clear I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024".
Tara Cobham, Alexander Butler, and Millie Cooke report the key details on Welby's resignation:
Justin Welby resigns over Church's child abuse 'conspiracy of silence' Justin Welby was under growing pressure to stand down over a damning report into John Smyth QC's 'abhorrent' abuse of children and young men Alex Croft Welby's name is forever tarnished by abuse scandal – but forcing him to quit now leaves Church in a messEighteen months ago, Justin Welby was in his pomp, taking centre-stage at the Coronation to crown the King. It was the moment when church and state came together – and he was the first Archbishop of Canterbury to enact such a ceremony in 70 years, something his immediate five predecessors in the role as leader of the Church of England had never done.
That, you might think, was his place in history assured. But now he may well be remembered for something else: that thousands of people, including some of his own clergy, are demanding that he quits.
Catherine Pepinster believes calls for Welby's resignation have had political motives. Here's why:
Welby's name has been tarnished by abuse scandal – but should he quit? This call for resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury is about much more than the issue of vile abuser John Smyth, writes Catherine Pepinster. It's about the politics of the Church of England itself Alex Croft Justin Welby's meteoric rise – and the abuse scandal that will become his legacy"As I step down, I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse," Justin Welby wrote in his resignation letter.
For his critics, it was too little, too late. Mounting pressure forced Welby's decision to quit his prestigious role of Archbishop of Canterbury on Tuesday after a damning independent review found he "could and should" have reported decades-long abuse of men and young boys by a serial abuser associated with the Church of England.
But how did he reach the most senior position in the Church of England, and what will his legacy look like?
Zoe Beaty and Tara Cobham write:
Justin Welby's meteoric rise – and the abuse scandal that will become his legacy The Archbishop of Canterbury has quit his role after the Church of England was criticised for covering up the abuse of young boys. It marks a dramatic end to a career that started as an oil executive before he was ordained in 1992, write Zoe Beaty and Tara Cobham Alex Croft Welby should dedicate 'rest of his life' to reforming CofE, says Smyth survivorMark Stibbe, a former vicar, author and a survivor of John Smyth's abuse, has called on Justin Welby to dedicate the "rest of his life" to reforming the Church of England.
"I would first of all say that I take no personal delight or joy in him losing his job," he told Channel 4 News. "I'm not that kind of person and none of the victims delight in that one simple fact that he's effectively lost his job.
"But we would also what to challenge him to be a person that makes sure that he uses the rest of his life for the cause of this reformation of the church so it is a safe house for vulnerable people."
Alex Croft More CofE figures must resign, says Smyth survivorA survivor of John Smyth's abuse says more Church of England figures should resign following the abuse to prevent Justin Welby being "scapegoated".
Former vicar Mark Stibbe told Channel 4 News that the Church must "roll out the changes necessary" after its "chaotic mishandling" of Smyth's case.
"Part of that must involve, I think, some resignations more than just Justin Welby's, otherwise he's taking the rap for everything and it could be argued that he's being scapegoated," he said
Mr Stibbe added that police should look at whether there are "senior clergy who have broken the law" as they "need to be called to account for that".
He added: "But I think at a very sort of fundamental level, we're asking for two things – we're asking for resignations and we're asking for reform."
Alex Croft Church has an institutional abuse problem - Bishop of StepneyThe Bishop of Stepney, Joanne Grenfell, has said "we have to admit" there is a problem within the church regarding abuse and responses to abuse.
Ms Grenfell, who is the safegyarding lead within the Church of England, told Sky News' Politics Hub: "I'm absolutely clear that we have to admit that there is a problem and there has been a problem with the church, with abuse and with responses to abuse.
"I think we know we're not the only institution that's struggling with that. But that's not an excuse. That's just a kind of comment on the times that we're in, where at last it feels possible to talk about abuse and to address that at the level of society.
"This problem of abuse in the church is a whole church problem. And therefore, it has to be a whole church response. It's about culture. It's about leadership, it's about theology.
"So, yes, abuse matters. But the whole context is what needs to change."
Alex Croft Welby 'believed police were taking care of this', says Bishop of StepneyJustin Welby 'did believe the police were taking care of this', Bishop of Stepney Joanne Grenfell said on Tuesday evening.
Speaking with Sky News' Politics Hub, she also questioned why things weren't taken up by police.
"He (the Archbishop of Canterbury) did believe the police were taking care of this and I think we have questions about why things haven't been taken up in terms of police action," she said.
"But I understand that he's taken personal and institutional responsibility because he wanted to say deeply, how deeply sorry he is for the part that he has or hasn't played in it and I respect that that's what he's done."
Alex Croft I would have forgiven Welby instantly if he handled it differently - survivorA survivor of John Smyth's abuse said that if Justin Welby had handled the allegations of abuse differently he would have "forgiven him there and then".
The man, who is known as Graham, told Channel 4 News: "The stupidity of this is, if Justin have handled this differently back in 2017, if he put out a statement saying, 'I'm sorry, I got to Lambeth (Palace), my eye was off the ball. Do you want to meet me tomorrow, victims? Are you all right? Have you got counselling? I am sorry', then we would have ticked him off the list and forgiven him there and then."
Alex Croft 'I am deeply sorry', says Bishop who knew of Smyth abuseStephen Conway, the current Bishop of Lincoln who was told about details of John Smyth's abuse when he was the Bishop of Ely in 2013, has said he is "deeply sorry" for his role in not "rigorously pursuing" the John Smyth case after reporting it to Lambeth Palace.
In a statement, Mr Conway said he welcomes the Makin Review about the "failings of individuals and institutions".
"As soon as I became involved, my priority was to provide support for those victims and survivors in connection with the Diocese of Ely," he continued.
"As part of my submission to the review, I confirmed that during my tenure as the Bishop of Ely, I received a disclosure about John Smyth.
"Once it became clear that there was an international dimension which directly affected another province of the Anglican Communion, I made a detailed disclosure to Lambeth Palace and contacted the relevant diocese in South Africa to alert them to the issue.
"It was my understanding that this matter was reported to the police in Cambridgeshire and duly passed on to the police in Hampshire where the abuse had occurred.
"I am clear that I did all within my authority as a bishop of the Church of England, bearing in mind that I had no authority over an entirely independent province on another continent.
"I acknowledge fully that my fault was in not rigorously pursuing Lambeth about that province-to-province communication, and for this I am deeply sorry."
Alex Croft
