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CofE abuse scandal: More senior church leaders urged to quit after Welby resignation

by Reuters Journalist
Welby on phone.JPG - Banner image
REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo

The Church of England faced pressure on Wednesday to ensure people are held to account for systematically covering up allegations of abuse, one day after the Archbishop of Canterbury resigned over a church abuse scandal.

Justin Welby quit on Tuesday as spiritual leader of the global Anglican Church, saying he had failed to ensure a proper investigation into allegations of abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps decades ago.

Welby resigned after coming under pressure over a report that found failings in the handling of the case of John Smyth, a barrister who abused at least 115 children and young men before his death.

The report has increased pressure on others to be held accountable for safeguarding failures.

"We ... know that some people pretty systematically covered this up, and that those people do need to be brought to account," Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, the second-most senior bishop in the Church of England, told BBC Radio.

Cottrell said there were lessons to be learned from the review, but that he was not referring to bishops:

"The church is a very, very large organisation, and a very dispersed organisation. We're a place where ... thousands and thousands of people, anyone is able to be part of our church, so safeguarding such an organisation is a challenge."

BISHOP FACES CALLS TO RESIGN

The Bishop of Lincoln, Stephen Conway, who was briefed about the abuse allegations against Smyth in 2013 - the same year as Welby - is facing calls to resign.

The BBC quoted an unnamed victim of Smyth as saying that Conway did not do enough when he was informed of the abuse.

Conway apologised on Tuesday for not rigorously pursuing Lambeth Palace, Welby's office, about the matter, saying he had done all in his authority as a bishop.

The review said Welby was ill-advised about the actions taken in Conway's then diocese of Ely, adding that he was incorrectly informed that a referral had been made to the police.

"It was my understanding that this matter was reported to the police in Cambridgeshire (in eastern England) and duly passed on to the police in Hampshire where the abuse had occurred," Conway said.

Asked about Welby's omissions, Cottrell said: "There have been great steps taken in the safeguarding of the church under his watch, but on this case, perhaps he relied too much on others."

Welby spent years trying to prevent the global Anglican communion fracturing, often struggling to please liberals or conservatives as they fought over homosexual rights and women clergy.

But Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba, was as the head of Uganda's Anglican Church had been rebuked by Welby for supporting a strict anti-homosexuality law in Uganda, said on Wednesday that Welby had split the Anglican communion worldwide.

VICTIMS URGE MORE RESIGNATIONS

Victims of John Smyth’s abuse have called for more resignations from Senior clergy members.

The first named by an anonymous victim, as reported by The Telegraph, is Rt Rev Dr Jo Bailey Wells, the Bishop for Episcopal Ministry at the Anglican Communion Office in London.

In 2013, she was reportedly working as Justin Welby’s personal chaplain at Lambeth Palace.

According to the Makin review, she received the safeguarding referral from Bishop Conway but did not follow it up with police.

The review says she told Bishop Conway she would “leave it to the diocese to pursue and to take no further action until the police had provided further advice”. However, no further advice came – and she did not follow the report up.

Also being asked to step down is Most Rev Dr Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town. Smyth continued his abuse whilst operating in South Africa.

The Makin review found that on Sept 10th, Bishop Conway received a message from Cape Town, stating that he did “not think that much action [would] be taken” on Smyth.

In August 2018, Smyth died in Cape Town whilst under investigation by Hampshire Police.

The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, Rt Rev Martin Seely, has also been called on to step down.

He left his role at All Souls Langham Place earlier this year over its stance on the Church of England’s Living in Love and Faith guidance on same-sex blessings.

The Makin report names him as someone who was allegedly aware of concerns over Smyth’s conduct.

A statement by Bishop Seely on Tuesday said: “I would like to add my profound gratitude and appreciation for the victims who came forward to reveal the horrific extent of Smyth’s abuse, for their courage, grace and dignity.

“The Church and its associated organisations clearly must be deeply penitent and learn from this review, and continue to be committed to implementing ongoing robust safeguarding procedures, across all parts of the Church.”

 
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