Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby (Credit: Reuters)
Archbishop of Canterbury resigns over poor handling of child abuse allegations
The Archbishop of Canterbury's, Justin Welby, time as the head of the Church of England concludes Monday, following intense scrutiny over his handling of abuse allegations against a former church volunteer.
Welby, who also served as the spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, will relinquish his ceremonial staff, known as the bishop’s crozier, in a symbolic act to mark the end of his ministry. Moving forward, the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, will assume many of his responsibilities.
The resignation comes after an independent investigation revealed failures in addressing misconduct by John Smyth, a late attorney accused of abusing dozens of boys and young men. The report detailed that Smyth committed acts of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse against approximately 30 victims in the UK and 85 in Africa during a period spanning the 1970s until his death in 2018.
The investigation, detailed in the 251-page Makin Review, found that Welby became aware of the allegations against Smyth in August 2013 but did not report them to the authorities. The report stated that taking action earlier might have prevented further harm.
Criticism mounted after Welby initially resisted calls to step down, with many highlighting a perceived lack of accountability at the church’s highest levels.
