Archbishop of Canterbury resigns - live: Welby quits as he admits ‘profound shame’ over church child sex abuse
Mr Welby said it was ‘very clear’ he must take responsibility and regretted the Church’s historic failures
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Your support makes all the difference.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.”
Alastair Campbell: Welby is a ‘good man with a good heart'
Alastair Campbell, co-host of The Rest Is Politics podcast, says he still believes Justin Welby is a “good man with a good heart”.
Mr Campbell, who knows Mr Welby personally, added that he has “strong values and a commitment to public service” in a post on X.
“He was assured the police and other authorities were properly on the case,” he continued.
“Yes, as he admits, he could have been more curious and checked in with exactly what was being done. He has apologised and I think many reasonable people will accept that. However he has chosen what all too few public figures do these days which is accept institutional responsibility.”
Rory Stewart, Mr Campbell’s podcast co-host, also took to X to support Welby. He said: “Very sorry to hear of the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury - I have worked with him for a long time and have always been struck by his humility, openness, care and sense of public service.”
In October, Mr Welby appeared on the Leading podcast hosted by Mr Campbell and Mr Stewart.
Survivors of John Smyth’s abuse ‘hugely emotional’ after Welby resignation
The survivors of John Smyth’s abuse have had a “hugely emotional day” after Justin Welby announced his resignation, according to biographer Andrew Graystone.
Mr Graystone, who wrote about Smyth’s life, abuses and the Church of England’s handling of matters, said he has spoken with some victims after Welby’s announcement.
They told him that Welby “had to go because of his failures” but that it “doesn’t begin to make things right”.
On his own views, Mr Graystone said: “I think people resigning still isn’t going to make the change. It’s the culture of privilege and secrecy and cover-up and putting the church above people that has to change. I don’t see how that’s going to happen.”
The church needs a “wholesale change of culture at the top” and “needs to reject the culture of cover-up and bullying and secrecy”, he added.
“It needs to hand its safeguarding operations over to a wholly independent body that will have the power to receive disclosures of abuse, mandate disciplinary action and allocate redress to victims.
“If that doesn’t happen, then the loss of one archbishop and the appointment of another will not make the church in any way safer.”
Starmer says he respects Welby’s decision
Sir Keir Starmer “respects the decision” of the Archbishop of Canterbury to step down, Downing Street has said.
“The Prime Minister respects the decision that’s been taken,” a Number 10 spokeswoman said.
Asked whether the Prime Minister had tried to get Justin Welby to reconsider his position after Sir Keir made clear that victims of John Smyth had been let down, she said: “No. We’re clear it’s a matter for the Church of England and the archbishop.
“I’d point you to the archbishop’s own statement. He refers to taking personal and institutional responsibility. As I say, the Prime Minister respects that decision and his thoughts, first and foremost, remain with all the victims.”
Key dates in the John Smyth scandal
- 1970s and 1980s: John Smyth physically abused boys at Christian camps in the UK and Africa
- 1982: An investigation by the Iwerne Trust, which ran the camps, uncovers claims of abuse - but does not report it to police
- 2013: Church of England knew “at the highest level” about the allegations, says Makin report
- 2013: Police were notified - Welby now says he “believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow”
- 2016: The Iwerne Trust’s report was made public
- 2017: Channel 4 News investigation highlights the findings
- 2018: Smyth dies in Cape Town, having not faced justice
- 2019: Independent report commissioned, led by Keith Makin, to look into Church’s handling of the Smyth case
- 7 November 2024: Makin report published - Justin Welby initially says he won’t resign, but changes his mind days later
Failure to report sexual abuse should be a crime, former NCA director says
The failure to report sexual abuse should be a crime, the former UK National Crime Agency director has said.
Paul Stanfield said a change in the law was needed after after a spate of cases in which sexual abuse within institutions is alleged to have been covered up.
“People in power cannot be permitted to turn a blind eye to abuse. When victims and survivors have the courage to come forward, that courage must be repaid with action to ensure justice is done,” he said.
Last week Welby insisted he would not resign
Following Thursday’s publication of the Makin review into John Smyth - which was critical of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s handling of the case - Justin Welby said he had given resignation “a lot of thought for actually quite a long time”.
Speaking to Channel 4 last week, Mr Welby added: “I have given it [resigning] a lot of thought and have taken advice as recently as this morning from senior colleagues, and, no, I am not going to resign.”
Now, he says “it is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024”.
King exchanged private words with Welby via 'intermediaries'
King Charles - the supreme governor of the Church of England - exchanged private words with Justin Welby through intermediaries this morning.
These words approved the resignation process which was followed by their aides. Public words from the King will be reserved for the point of formal departure.
Reverend ‘deeply saddened’
A reverend behind the petition calling on the Archbishop of Canterbury to resign, Revd Dr Ian Paul, Associate Minister at St Nic’s Church, Nottingham said he was “deeply saddened” by the situation.
He said: “I’m not thrilled at all, I’m deeply saddened, I’m saddened that this episode has come up, I’m grieved for the victims, the survivors and that they’ve had to go through this again.
“I think it’s very sad that this whole episode has happened, I think it’s sad that the Makin Report had to happen, and I think it’s sad that it’s taken so long for meaningful action to take place.”
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby quits: Read his resignation letter in full
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby quits: Read his resignation letter in full
The full statement has been issued by Lambeth Palace
Labour piles pressure on Justin Welby as he faces calls to resign over sexual abuse scandal
Labour piles pressure on Justin Welby as he faces calls to resign over sex abuse row
MP chosen by Keir Starmer and King to represent Church of England in Commons ‘recognises Welby’s failure’
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