In a recent interview with BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby admitted to failing to address abuse allegations within the Church of England due to feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of the issue. This confession comes after an independent review revealed his failure to rigorously pursue reports of John Smyth, a known serial abuser of children and young men associated with the Church. Consequently, Welby became the first Archbishop in over 1,000 years to step down from his position in November.
Welby, 68, acknowledged that the extensive volume of cases that crossed his desk during his tenure in 2013 created an “absolutely overwhelming” situation. Despite knowing Smyth, Welby expressed that he was inundated with incoming cases from the past that were not adequately addressed, leading to a chaotic period where prioritization became challenging. Reflecting on his actions, Welby acknowledged that there was no excuse for his oversights in handling the allegations.
The Makin Review, helmed by safeguarding expert Keith Makin, uncovered the widespread cover-up of Smyth’s abusive behavior towards more than 100 children and young men in England and Africa over several decades. Smyth, a respected figure within a Christian charity, faced accusations of physically, sexually, psychologically, and spiritually harming his victims, including subjecting boys to thousands of lashings with a garden cane. Despite efforts to bring Smyth to justice, he passed away in 2018 in Cape Town, evading legal consequences.
Despite initial resistance to calls for his resignation following the Makin Review’s revelations, Welby eventually accepted personal and institutional responsibility for his handling of the scandal. He emphasized the need for society to regain trust in institutions and called for a more forgiving approach towards leaders, highlighting the unrealistic expectations placed on them. The Church of England declined to comment further ahead of the broadcast of the full interview with Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday
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