The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has officially resigned following revelations from an independent review that found the Church of England had concealed decades of sexual abuse committed by John Smyth QC, a prominent barrister.
The detailed findings, published in the recent Makin review, outline the horrific scope of Smyth’s abuse, affecting approximately 130 boys and young men across five decades and multiple countries, including the UK and regions in Africa.
Smyth reportedly inflicted severe physical, sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse that has left deep and lasting scars on the lives of his victims.
The Makin review suggests that Smyth might have faced justice had Welby formally reported the allegations to authorities nearly a decade earlier. In a letter announcing his resignation, Welby expressed deep regret, saying, “Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign.”
Welby continued, acknowledging the gravity of the cover-up: “The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuse of John Smyth.” Reflecting on his initial response in 2013, he added, “When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow.”
Taking full accountability, Welby wrote, “It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and re-traumatising period between 2013 and 2024.”
He expressed remorse over the Church’s historic safeguarding failures, stating, “The last few days have renewed my long-felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England. For nearly 12 years I have struggled to introduce improvements. It is for others to judge what has been done.”
Welby further pledged his commitment to the victims, affirming, “In the meantime, I will follow through on my commitment to meet victims. I will delegate all my other current responsibilities for safeguarding until the necessary risk assessment process is complete.”
John Smyth, who passed away in Cape Town in 2018 at the age of 75, was under investigation by Hampshire Police at the time of his death. He was therefore “never brought to justice for the abuse,” according to the Makin review.
