Archbishop of Canterbury faces growing calls to resign over sex abuse scandal

The Archbishop of Canterbury became responsive to “really horrific” abuse of “significant sadistic nature” and might resign, one of many clergy individuals who launched a petition to get Justin Welby to step down has acknowledged.

Fr Robert Thompson told Sky Facts he wasn’t clear the Archbishop, who goes by calls to step down after a damning portray discovered the Church of England covered up sexual abuse by a barrister, became “serious about reform”.

The Archbishop has been below growing tension over his “failures” to alert authorities about John Smyth QC’s “abhorrent” abuse of teens and younger men.

A petition by some individuals of the Traditional Synod, the church’s parliament, has gathered more than 1,500 signatures urging the Archbishop to stand down.

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Fr Thompson, one of many three clergy individuals who launched the petition, acknowledged he has been in touch with victims of diversified abuses, many of whom restful feel that “not much has changed” in how they are handled by the church.

“They feel gaslighted, they feel neglected, they feel as if people won’t meet with them,” he acknowledged.

“I think the reality is that Justin is making far too much of the changes that he has made because it doesn’t feel like that on the ground for victims and survivors.”

The self reliant Makin overview into Smyth’s abuse became published finest week, concluding he might procure been introduced to justice had Mr Welby formally reported it to police a decade in the past.

Smyth died dilapidated 75 in Cape Town in 2018 while below investigation by Hampshire Police, and so became “never brought to justice for the abuse”, the overview acknowledged.

True by five a long time in three diversified international locations and sharp as many as 130 boys and younger men in the UK and Africa, Smyth is alleged to procure subjected his victims to anxious physical, sexual, psychological and non secular assaults.

The Archbishop acknowledged he had “no idea or suspicion of this abuse” sooner than 2013 however acknowledged the overview had discovered that after its wider exposure that year he had “personally failed to ensure” it became “energetically investigated”.

Mr Welby knew Smyth due to his attendance at Iwerne Christian camps in the Seventies, however the overview acknowledged there became no proof he had “maintained any significant contact” with the barrister in later years.

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‘Monarchs internal their hang diocese’

Fr Thompson acknowledged a “complete culture change” became necessary in the episcopacy, while safeguarding ought to be “completely independent” as “we are way now beyond the point at which victims and survivors within the church would accept anything less and trust anything less and that is now the same, I think, for many clergy”.

Speaking of what he believes has develop into an “enormous crisis” going by the church, he acknowledged an absence of accountability of bishops and senior group calls for a commerce in its governance.

“Hold us to account in parliament,” he acknowledged, together with that at fresh bishops can “can get away with far too much” they normally “almost act as monarchs within their own diocese”.

‘We must discover commerce’

The petition by church individuals states: “Given his role in allowing abuse to continue, we believe that his continuing as the Archbishop of Canterbury is no longer tenable.

“We must discover commerce, for the sake of survivors, for the protection of the prone, and for primarily the most intelligent of the church – and we part this determination all the scheme in which by our traditions.

“With sadness we do not think there is any alternative to his immediate resignation if the process of change and healing is to start now.”

Bishop of Newcastle Helen-Ann Hartley today told the BBC that while his resignation would now not “solve the safeguarding problem”, it might “be a very clear indication that a line has been drawn, and that we must move towards independence of safeguarding”.

She acknowledged: “I think that it’s very hard for the church as the national, the established church, to continue to have a moral voice in any way, shape or form in our nation when we cannot get our own house in order.

“We’re in distress of losing total credibility on that front.”

Giles Fraser, vicar of St Anne’s in Kew, west London, described it as a “shocking snarl”, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I am afraid he’s not any doubt lost the boldness of his clergy, he’s lost the boldness of many of his bishops and his place of living is totally untenable.”

Mr Welby, speaking to Channel 4 when the report was published, said he had been giving resignation “tons of idea” – but added he had “taken advice” from senior colleagues and insisted: “I am now not going to resign.”

Despite Smyth’s actions having been identified in the 1980s, the report concluded he was never fully exposed and was therefore able to continue his abuse.

The church has said it is “deeply sorry for the horrific abuse” and added “there might be by no components a place of living for covering up abuse”.