LONDON — The leader of the Church of England, who is also regarded as the spiritual head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, is facing intense calls for his resignation following an investigation revealing his failure to notify authorities about repeated physical and sexual abuse perpetrated by a volunteer at Christian summer camps. This situation has escalated after the church’s independent review was published, which highlighted critical oversights in handling the abuse reports.
Members of the General Synod, the church’s governing body, have initiated a petition demanding the resignation of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, asserting that he has “lost the confidence of his clergy.” By Monday morning, this petition had attracted over 1,800 supporters on the platform Change.org.
The pressure on Welby to resign intensified after the church disclosed the findings of its review on Thursday, detailing the extensive abuse committed by John Smyth, who had inflicted sexual, psychological, and physical harm on roughly 30 boys and young men in the UK and approximately 85 in Africa spanning five decades.
According to the comprehensive 251-page report, Welby was made aware of Smyth’s abuse in August 2013, shortly after he assumed the role of Archbishop of Canterbury, yet he neglected to report the matter to law enforcement. Last week, he acknowledged his responsibility for not ensuring that the allegations were pursued with the necessary intensity, although he has opted not to step down.
On Monday, Welby’s office released a statement expressing his profound horror at the magnitude of Smyth’s heinous actions. The statement emphasized, “As he has said, he had no awareness or suspicion of the allegations before he was informed in 2013 — and therefore, after careful contemplation, he does not intend to resign.” The statement further reiterated Welby’s commitment to supporting measures that promote a safer church globally.
Church authorities were initially alerted to Smyth’s misconduct as early as 1982, prompted by an internal investigation about his actions. The Makin Review indicated that those who received the report actively participated in a cover-up to hide its implications.
After relocating to Zimbabwe in 1984, Smyth eventually moved to South Africa in 2021, where he continued to exploit young boys and men. Evidence suggests that his abusive behavior persisted in South Africa until his passing in August 2018.
The public awareness surrounding Smyth’s abusive actions only surfaced following a 2017 investigation by Britain’s Channel 4 television, which subsequently prompted Hampshire Police to initiate their own investigation. At the time of his death, the police had intended to question Smyth and were in the process of arranging his extradition.
The Makin Review concluded that had Smyth been reported to law enforcement in 2013, it might have facilitated the exposure of the truth, prevented further instances of abuse, and possibly led to a criminal conviction. The report stated, “Effectively, three and a half years were squandered, during which John Smyth could have faced justice and the ongoing abuse he perpetrated in South Africa could have been uncovered and halted.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury holds the title of head of the Church of England and is acknowledged as the primary spiritual guide for the Anglican Communion, which boasts more than 85 million adherents across 165 nations. In the hierarchy of the communion, he is regarded as first among equals alongside the other primates.