The Church of England says its National Safeguarding Team (NST) is examining whether there is any "immediate safeguarding risk" after criticisms were made against individuals and dioceses in the independent review into abuse by the late barrister John Smyth.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Most Rev Justin Welby resigned last month just days after the Makin Review was published after it found senior Church of England figures had failed to act on concerns and disclosures about Smyth’s abuse.
Since then, survivors have been calling for other high-ranking bishops and clergy to also be held accountable for their failings in the way they handled reports of abuse.
The Bishop of Newcastle Rt Rev Helen-Ann Hartley has also called for serving bishops to “step back” from official duties while their failures identified in the review were investigated.
In a statement on its website today the Church of England said that the NST will also consider any new evidence in the report to assess if there is "any ongoing safeguarding risk and if there is evidence to support any disciplinary process with regard to those individuals, where they are still under the authority or oversight of the Church of England".
It says the "NST has previously considered some evidence that was available from other sources, and is now reviewing all decisions that were previously made, alongside examining whether there is any new evidence which also needs to be taken into account".
The process, which is due to be completed by the next meeting of General Synod in February 2025, is already underway and a large number of safeguarding assessments have already taken place.
It will be carried out in four stages - beginning with an assessment of whether anyone poses an immediate safeguarding risk. This may lead to other processes with dioceses holding people to account for "failures of safeguarding, conduct, or other aspects of leadership responsibility, or for actions which have caused reputational harm".
Following more in-depth assessments, decisions will be taken as to any disciplinary action and the final phase will include "robust external scrutiny of those decisions by an independent barrister".
Among those mentioned in the review are the Bishop of Lincoln Rt Rev Stephen Conway, the Bishop for Episcopal Ministry in the Anglican Communion Rt Rev Jo Bailey Wells, the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Rt Rev Martin Seeley and the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey.
The former Bishop of Chelmsford John Trillo and the former Bishop of Ely Peter Walker were also mentioned, but they have both died.
Premier has contacted the Church of England for comment.