Justin Welby announced he would be resigning as the Archbishop of Canterbury over John Smyth’s vile abuse of young boys at Christian camps in the 1970s and 1980s
John Smyth’s victims have told of their relief after Justin Welby quit over the vile barrister’s abuses of boys at Christian camps.
But it came amid warnings his resignation is unlikely to change anything unless there is wholesale reform at the top of the Church of England to end the cover-ups and secrecy that allowed the attacker to operate.
The Archbishop of Canterbury caved in to pressure to go after the Makin Review found Smyth could have been brought to justice if Mr Welby had alerted police in 2013 to his crimes at Iwerne camps in Dorset, where he beat 26 to 30 boys in the 1970s and 1980s. He targeted up to 100 more aged 13 to 17 before dying aged 75 in South Africa in 2018 – while under investigation by a UK force.
Andrew Graystone, who wrote a book on Smyth’s abuse and the Church’s handling of it, said Mr Welby’s resignation yesterday was a “hugely emotional day” for the victims he spoke to. Asked what they said, he replied: “That he had to go because of his failures, but it doesn’t begin to make things right.
“I think people resigning isn’t going to make the change. It’s the culture of privilege, secrecy and cover-up, and putting the Church above people that has to change. It needs to hand safeguarding over to an independent body with the power to receive disclosures of abuse, mandate disciplinary action and allocate redress to victims.
“If that doesn’t happen, then the loss of one Archbishop and the appointment of another will not make the Church in any way safer.”
Victim Mark Stibbe said he “applauded” Mr Welby for quitting but added: “I think the survivors would like more resignations, more accountability, people taking responsibility for having been silent when they should have spoken”.
Announcing he was stepping down, Mr Welby said Makin “exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth”. He added: “When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow. I take responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.
“The past few days had renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England. I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and have been honoured to serve.” The King approved his resignation yesterday.
Mr Welby initially apologised for the Smyth cover-up but refused to quit. But after a petition by General Synod members urging him to go gathered 5,000 signatures, he relented. It was set up by The Rev Dr Ian Paul, who said: “’I’m grieved for the victims. It’s sad that it’s taken so long for meaningful action to take place.”
Bishop of Stepney Joanne Grenfell, Church of England safeguarding head, added: “We have to admit there is a problem with the Church, with abuse and with responses to abuse.” Keir Starmer’s spokesman said the PM “respects the decision that’s been taken” by Mr Welby. The report, by former director of social services Keith Makin, found Smyth’s abuse was covered up by “powerful evangelical clergy”.
It said the attacks “could and should have been formally reported to the police in the UK, and to authorities in South Africa by Church officers, including a bishop and Justin Welby in 2013”.
Although Mr Welby knew Smyth through the Christian camps, he insisted he had “no idea or suspicion of his abuse” before 2013.
Mr Welby, who has had six children with wife Caroline, one of whom died, became Archbishop in 2013. His duties have included officiating Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018, baptising William and Kate’s son Louis and crowning the King in May last year.
