Welby faces pressure to resign over Church abuse scandal

The Archbishop of Canterbury is facing mounting unit to resign aft a damning study into maltreatment by a prolific kid abuser associated with the Church of England.

Anglican clergyman Giles Fraser told the BBC the Most Rev Justin Welby had "lost the assurance of his clergy" and his presumption was untenable.

Three members of the Church’s parliament - the General Synod - person started a petition calling for Mr Welby to resign implicit his "failures" to study John Smyth QC's "abhorrent" maltreatment of boys and young men astatine Christian summertime camps.

A review of the Church’s handling of Smyth’s case said Mr Welby "could and should" person reported the lawsuit to authorities erstwhile details were presented to him successful 2013.

Mr Welby acknowledged helium should person much rigorously followed up the details and said past week helium had considered resigning, but decided to enactment successful his role.

The Makin reappraisal into Smyth's lawsuit said helium mightiness person been brought to justness for decades of maltreatment earlier his decease successful 2018 had helium been formally reported to authorities a decennary ago.

Smyth died aged 75 portion nether probe by Hampshire Police.

The reappraisal besides noted that immoderate Church leaders had been made alert of the maltreatment successful 1982.

In a statement, Mr Welby said helium was "deeply atrocious that this maltreatment happened" and "sorry that concealment by galore radical who were afloat alert of the maltreatment implicit galore years meant that John Smyth was capable to maltreatment overseas and died earlier helium ever faced justice".

He added: "I had nary thought oregon suspicion of this maltreatment earlier 2013."

The petition calling for Mr Welby's resignation has truthful acold gathered implicit 1,500 signatures.

"Given his relation successful allowing maltreatment to continue, we judge that his continuing arsenic the Archbishop of Canterbury is nary longer tenable," the petition reads.

"We indispensable spot change, for the involvement of survivors, for the extortion of the vulnerable, and for the bully of the Church."

Mr Fraser, vicar of St Anne’s Church astatine Kew, westbound London, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Welby "really [had] to go".

Recalling his ain acquisition of maltreatment astatine school, Mr Fraser said specified an acquisition was "very traumatic and stays with you".

"This happened to maine erstwhile I was seven, 8 – I'm 60 successful a fewer weeks’ time," helium told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"The thought that radical continued to beryllium abused aft the Church knew what was happening is disgraceful."

At the weekend, the Church's pb safeguarding bishop said she welcomed Mr Welby’s apology - and would not accidental whether helium should resign.

"I truly admit that the Archbishop has wholeheartedly apologised for what helium could person and should person done otherwise successful 2013," the Rt Rev Joanne Grenfell, the Bishop of Stepney told the BBC.

"I besides recognise his committedness implicit the alteration of his tenure arsenic Archbishop to truly having tried to alteration safeguarding."

Mr Welby said helium hoped the Makin Review would enactment the ongoing enactment of gathering a safer religion present and astir the world, and reiterated his "horror astatine the standard of John Smyth's egregious abuse, arsenic reflected successful his nationalist apology".

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