The abuse scandal that led to the archbishop's resignation

Justin Welby has resigned arsenic the Archbishop of Canterbury aft facing scrutiny implicit his nonaccomplishment to study prolific kid abuser John Smyth QC.

A reappraisal of the Church's handling of the case, published past week, recovered that Mr Welby, aft learning astir the maltreatment successful 2013, did not formally study Smyth to authorities.

Following calls from wrong the religion and a petition which gathered thousands of signatories, Mr Welby resigned connected Tuesday.

In a statement, helium said: "It is precise wide that I indispensable instrumentality idiosyncratic and organization work for the agelong and retraumatising play betwixt 2013 and 2024."

Here are the events that led to Mr Welby's resignation aft 11 years successful the post.

In his connection connected Tuesday, Mr Welby said helium hoped the determination to measurement down "makes wide however earnestly the Church of England understands the request for alteration and our profound committedness to creating a safer church".

The Archbishop of Canterbury - the astir elder bishop of the Church of England - had been facing expanding unit to resign aft the Makin reappraisal was published on 7 November, uncovering that Mr Welby and different religion officers successful 2013 should person formally reported Smyth to constabulary successful the UK and authorities successful South Africa.

This included unit from elder members of the Church, including Bishop of Newcastle Helen-Ann Hartley who said Mr Welby's resignation would "be a precise wide denotation that a enactment has been drawn, and that we indispensable determination towards independency of safeguarding".

A subsister of Smyth's maltreatment besides called for Mr Welby to go, saying that helium felt the archbishop's admittance that helium had not done capable successful effect to the reports meant that some helium and the Church of England had efficaciously been progressive successful a "cover-up".

John Smyth QC, is believed to person subjected up to arsenic galore arsenic 130 boys and young men successful the UK and Africa to traumatic physical, intersexual and intelligence maltreatment including beatings and lashings, according to the autarkic review.

Smyth was a British barrister and a erstwhile president of Christian foundation Iwerne Trust, who died successful South Africa successful 2018.

He was accused of attacking up to 30 boys astatine his Winchester location successful the 1970s and 1980s. He past moved to Africa, wherever helium abused an estimated 85 to 100 antheral children aged 13 to 17, the reappraisal added.

Smyth's maltreatment was archetypal reported to the spot successful the aboriginal 1980s, and a study detailing his "horrific" beatings of teenaged boys was presented to immoderate Church leaders successful 1982. But the findings were not fixed to the police.

The Makin reappraisal said his maltreatment successful the UK re-emerged successful 2012, erstwhile a religion serviceman successful Cambridgeshire received a missive “out of the blue” from a chap survivor.

It was this lawsuit that yet led to Mr Welby uncovering retired astir the abuse.

The reappraisal stated that 5 constabulary forces were told of the maltreatment betwixt 2013 and 2016. Church leaders nevertheless did not lodge a ceremonial report.

It was not until 2017, aft a Channel 4 documentary exposed Smyth to the public, that constabulary launched a afloat investigation.

Mr Welby worked astatine summertime camps successful Dorset wherever Smyth is said to person met his victims, but has said helium was unaware of the allegations until 2013.

The Makin reappraisal recovered that from July of that year, the Church of England "knew, astatine the highest level" of Smyth's abuse, portion Mr Welby became alert successful astir August.

It said that if Mr Welby and different Church officers had reported this to constabulary successful the UK and authorities successful South Africa astatine that time, “John Smyth could person [been] brought to justness astatine a overmuch earlier point”.

In 2017, Mr Welby apologised "unreservedly" to Smyth's victims.

He apologised again aft the Makin reappraisal was published connected 7 November, saying that helium "personally failed" to guarantee "the atrocious calamity was energetically investigated".

He besides told Channel 4 News that helium considered resigning implicit the scandal, but had said helium had decided against the determination until his announcement connected Tuesday.