Ex-archbishop Carey faces possible disciplinary action

Former archbishop of Canterbury George Carey is among a fig of clergy facing imaginable disciplinary enactment implicit safeguarding failures aft a study into prolific abuser John Smyth, the Church of England has announced.

The database besides includes the erstwhile Bishop of Durham Paul Butler, who participated successful King Charles' coronation service, and Rev Andrew Cornes - who is presently connected the sheet charged with choosing the adjacent Archbishop of Canterbury.

Smyth, who died successful 2018, utilized horrific unit to onslaught boys astatine his Winchester location who helium had met astatine a Christian summertime campy during the 1970s and 1980s, a study into his maltreatment found.

The study led to the eventual resignation of Justin Welby arsenic archbishop of Canterbury successful November.

The Church's National Safeguarding Team said 2 different members of clergy person not yet had their actions reviewed due to the fact that of "ongoing processes".

Almost 30 different clergy criticised successful the study volition not look disciplinary enactment due to the fact that determination was "insufficient grounds to conscionable the threshold for disciplinary proceedings", it added.

A long-awaited study into Smyth's abuse, the Makin review, was released past twelvemonth and concluded helium was thought to beryllium the astir prolific serial abuser to beryllium associated with the Church of England.

On work of the findings, the Archbishop of Canterbury astatine the time, Mr Welby, apologised to victims and said Smyth's maltreatment had "manipulated Christian information to warrant his evil acts".

However, the reappraisal concluded that Smyth mightiness person been brought to justness had Mr Welby formally reported allegations to constabulary successful 2013.

Mr Welby had resisted calls to measurement speech implicit his effect to the lawsuit since 2013. But amid mounting unit erstwhile the study was published, he yet said indispensable instrumentality "personal and organization responsibility" and resigned past year.

Lord Carey was besides named successful the Makin review, which concluded maltreatment carried retired for decades by Smyth was known astir and not acted upon by assorted radical wrong the Church.

Lord Carey resigned arsenic a clergyman successful December following an probe into the Church of England's handling of a abstracted intersexual maltreatment case.

The database of clergy who could look disciplinary enactment includes:

• Bishop Paul Butler
• Bishop George Carey
• Rev Roger Combes
• Rev Sue Colman
• Rev Andrew Cornes
• Rev Tim Hastie-Smith
• Rev Hugh Palmer
• Rev Paul Perkin
• Rev Nick Stott
• Rev John Woolmer

Alexander Kubeyinje, the Church of England's nationalist manager of safeguarding, said: "We indispensable not hide that astatine bosom of this lawsuit are the survivors and victims who person endured the lifelong effects of the appalling maltreatment by John Smyth, we are genuinely sorry.

"Today we person announced adjacent steps successful the process looking astatine some hazard and disciplinary processes."