Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigns 'in sorrow with all victims' of church abuse case

ITV News' UK Editor Paul Brand has the latest on Justin Welby's decision to resign

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has announced he will step down from his role "in the best interests of the Church of England", after facing mounting pressure to quit over his handling of the John Smyth abuse case.

Last week, a review concluded that barrister John Smyth QC had abused more than 100 children and young men in the UK and Africa over five decades. Smyth is thought to have been the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church.

Smyth died in Cape Town in 2018 while under investigation by Hampshire Police. He was 75 years old at the time of his death.

The review found Welby, who knew Smyth through his attendance at Iwerne Christian camps in the 1970s, “could and should” have formally reported the abuse.

In a statement, Welby acknowledged "personal and institutional responsibility" for "wrongly" believing that there wasn't a need to make this formal report to police in 2013.

He said: “It is my duty to honour my constitutional and church responsibilities, so exact timings will be decided once a review of necessary obligations has been completed, including those in England and in the Anglican Communion.

“I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our profound commitment to creating a safer church. As I step down I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse.

“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.

“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.”

The King exchanged private words with Welby through intermediaries this morning to approve the resignation process.

ITV News' UK Editor Paul Brand breaks down what led up to Justin Welby's decision to step down - and what could happen next

The Archbishop said he had “no idea or suspicion of this abuse” before 2013 but acknowledged the review had found that after its wider exposure that year he had “personally failed to ensure” that it was “energetically investigated”.

Smyth is accused of inflicting physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks on as many as 130 boys and young men, across five decades in three different countries.

Revd Dr Ian Paul, Associate Minister at St Nic’s Church in Nottingham was one of those behind the petition calling for his resignation.

Responding to Welby's announcement on Tuesday, he said: “I’m not thrilled at all, I’m deeply saddened, I’m saddened that this episode has come up, I’m grieved for the victims, the survivors and that they’ve had to go through this again.

“I think it’s very sad that this whole episode has happened, I think it’s sad that the Makin Report had to happen, and I think it’s sad that it’s taken so long for meaningful action to take place."

Ahead of Welby's resignation, three members of the General Synod launched a petition for the Archbishop to resign, which received more than 10,000 signatures.

Welby previously said he had considered standing down last week but decided against it.

The Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, said his decision has created potential to "enable change" in the Church.

“The Church of England now needs a reset in how safeguarding is scrutinised," she said.

Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York, said Welby’s resignation was “the right and honourable thing to do”.

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He added: “As a church, we continue to work towards and must achieve a more victim-centred and trauma-informed approach to safeguarding within the Church of England, and this must address the broader questions of culture and leadership.

"In this regard, much progress has already been made over the last 10 years. Indeed, it has been Archbishop himself who has championed those developments and reforms."

When asked if Welby should resign on Tuesday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer declined to give an answer, and said it was a matter for the Church.

“It’s a matter, in the end, for the church, but I’m not going to shy away from the fact of saying that these are horrific allegations and that my thoughts are with the victims in relation to it," he said.

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