England’s top Archbishop quits due to sex abuse scandal
Date
11/13/2024 7:28:25 AM
(MENAFN) Justin Welby has resigned as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the highest-ranking cleric in the Church of England, following an independent investigation into the abuse carried out by former youth pastor John J. Smyth. The Makin Review revealed that Smyth, who died in 2018, inflicted decades of physical and sexual abuse on boys in the 1970s and 1980s, but was never criminally charged.
In his resignation letter, Welby took full responsibility for the church’s failure to act on the abuse, which was first reported to him in 2013. He expressed deep sorrow and acknowledged the "historic safeguarding failures" within the church, which allowed Smyth’s abusive behavior to continue unchecked for years.
The Makin Review, led by former government official Keith Makin, highlighted that Smyth's abuse was both prolific and brutal, with at least 100 victims, many of whom were subjected to sadistic beatings. Despite being informed of the abuse, the Church of England failed to take appropriate action, which the report describes as a "cover-up."
Bishop Joanne Grenfell and National Director of Safeguarding Alexander Kubeyinje expressed their horror at the abuse and the church’s failure to protect victims. The report named future Bishop Andrew Watson as one of Smyth’s victims.
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