Anglican Church Leader Entangled in Child Abuse Scandal

A senior Anglican Church leader faces serious allegations amid a child abuse scandal, sparking calls for accountability and transparency within the church. 

The leader of the Church of England and spiritual head of the worldwide Anglican Communion is facing pressure to resign following an investigation that revealed he did not promptly notify the police upon learning about repeated physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps.

A petition initiated by certain members of the General Synod, which is the church’s national assembly, calls for Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby to step down, claiming he has “lost the trust of his clergy.” By late Monday morning in London, this petition had received over 1,800 signatures on Change.org.

Increasing the pressure, a senior clergywoman has joined those advocating for his resignation. Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Newcastle, expressed to the BBC that Mr. Welby’s position was “untenable.”

Since Thursday, there have been increasing calls for Mr. Welby to resign following the Church’s publication of an independent investigation into John Smyth. The report revealed that Smyth sexually, psychologically, and physically abused approximately 30 boys and young men in the UK and 85 in Africa over a span of five decades.

The 251-page report concludes that Welby did not notify authorities about Smyth when he learned of the abuse in August 2013, soon after assuming his role as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Last week, Mr. Welby admitted responsibility for not pursuing the allegations as “vigorously” as was necessary after becoming aware of the abuse; however, he stated that he had no plans to resign.

On Monday, his office released a statement emphasizing Mr. Welby’s shock at the extent of John Smyth’s severe abuse.

According to the statement, he stated that he had no knowledge or suspicion of the allegations before being informed in 2013. After considering his position, he has decided not to resign. He is hopeful that the Makin Review will aid in continuing efforts to create a safer church both locally and globally.

In 1982, church officials first learned about the abuse when they received the findings of an internal investigation into Smyth. According to the Makin report, those who received this information “engaged in an active cover-up” to keep the investigation’s results hidden.

Between 1984 and 2001, Smyth resided in Zimbabwe before moving to South Africa. During his time in Zimbabwe, he continued to sexually assault boys and young men. Evidence suggests that this abuse persisted in South Africa until his death in August 2018.

Smyth’s abuse remained undisclosed until a 2017 investigation by the British television network Channel 4 brought it to light, prompting Hampshire police to initiate an inquiry. At the time of his death, police were planning to question Smyth and had been preparing for his extradition.

According to the Makin report, reporting Smyth to the police in 2013 might have revealed the truth sooner, prevented additional abuse, and potentially resulted in a criminal conviction.

The study concluded that three and a half years were indeed lost, during which John Smyth could have been held accountable for his actions, potentially uncovering and stopping the abuses he was committing in South Africa.

The Archbishop of Canterbury serves as the head of the Church of England and is regarded as the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, a community with over 85 million members across 165 countries. Among other primates in this communion, he holds the position known as “first among equals.”