Bishop adds to pressure on Welby to stand down

Abuse scandal makes position ‘untenable’.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is under pressure over the Church of England’s latest abuse scandal. Picture: AFP

The future of the Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury has been deemed “untenable” by a senior bishop, as pressure mounts over his handling of one of the church’s most serious abuse scandals.

Bishop of Newcastle Helen-Ann Hartley said Mr Welby’s resignation was needed to “draw a line” under the Church of ­England’s mishandling of abuse cases – the first such comment from a senior figure.

An independent review into John Smyth, a Christian barrister who “brutally” beat as many as 130 boys over 40 years, found that he might have been brought to justice had Mr Welby formally reported him to the police a decade ago.

One survivor of Smyth’s abuse told The Times that the archbishop’s handling of allegations was a “dereliction of duty” and he had “no shadow of a doubt” that Mr Welby should step down.

Lambeth Palace reiterated the archbishop’s “horror” at Smyth’s abuse and his apology for failing to ensure that allegations were “energetically” investigated when they were made to the church in 2013.

However, the palace repeated Mr Welby’s insistence that he “does not intend to resign” since he knew nothing personally about the abuse before allegations were made. A spokeswoman said Mr Welby remained committed to the “ongoing work of building a safer church”.

Helen-Ann Macleod Hartley said the church was ‘in danger of losing complete credibility’.

Dr Hartley said Mr Welby’s resignation would not “solve the safeguarding problem” faced by the Church of England but it would be a “very clear indication that a line has been drawn”.

She told BBC radio that the church was “in danger of losing complete credibility” because of its failure to tackle pedophiles and abusers in its ranks. “I think sadly his position is untenable,” she said. “So I think he should resign.”

Dr Hartley, who is considered an outsider to follow Ms Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury, said details in the report by Keith Makin, a former director of social services, which described Smyth as the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church of England, were “truly horrific”.

She said victims were asking: “Can we really trust the Church of England to keep us safe?”, adding: “I think the answer at the moment is no.”

Smyth, who ran Christian summer camps in Britain and ­Africa and who died in 2018 aged 77, is said to have subjected his victims to beatings and sexual abuse over five decades.

Mr Welby volunteered at a Christian camp run by Smyth in Dorset and has faced scrutiny over the extent to which he knew of the abuse. He has admitted that in 1981 he was told by a priest that the barrister was “really not a nice man” but said he believed the warning to have related to Smyth’s personality.

In 2013, shortly after he became archbishop, Mr Welby was informed of allegations against Smyth but was wrongly assured they had been passed to the police. No formal referral had been made, and the review found that Mr Welby and other senior church figures displayed a “lack of curiosity” over whether the allegations were being investigated properly.

Mr Welby has apologised and admitted that he “personally failed to ensure” that the allegations were “energetically investigated”.

Three members of the General Synod who are critics of the archbishop set up a petition on Change.org calling for him to step down. By Monday night it had been signed by 8000 people.

Mark Stibbe, 64, who when a pupil at Winchester College was groomed by Smyth, said it would be “noble and right” for Mr Welby to step down.

Mr Stibbe said he was “thrashed” with a cane by Smyth in what amounted to a “real criminal assault”.

“In any other organisation (if) it was proven in a review that (a senior figure) had failed badly ... they would resign,” he said.

Some said, however, that Mr Welby should not be made a scapegoat when other church officials had known about Smyth’s abuses for decades and covered them up.

Martha Mutikani, an honorary canon at Chichester Cathedral, pointed to “all the other good things” Mr Welby had done.

During Mr Welby’s 11-year tenure, a host of reports have ­examined decades of abuse cases – most dating from long before his time – and found many instances in which church leaders dismissed, minimised or actively covered up allegations.

Mr Welby will have to retire when he turns 70 in January 2026. He must announce the exact date in time to allow for a successor to be chosen, which could take eight months or more.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Mr Welby’s resignation was “a matter really for the church rather than for me”.

THE TIMES