Welby quits over 'failures' in Church abuse scandal

Archbishop submits to pressure from clergy and PM

- TARA COBHAM ALEXANDER BUTLER MILLIE COOKE

The 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. Yesterday, Dr Welby 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 Makin review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth. 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. I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honoured to serve.”

Among the calls for Dr Welby to quit was a petition instigated by some members of the General Synod – the Church’s parliament – which gathered more than 10,000 signatures, while a senior bishop issued a public statement describing the Church as being “in danger of losing complete credibility” on safeguarding.