Vicar calls on Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby to resign over John Smyth sex abuse scandal
The Archbishop of Canterbury was aware of “really horrific” abuse of “significant sadistic nature” and should resign, one of the clergy members who launched a petition to get Justin Welby to step down has said.
Fr Robert Thompson told Sky News he wasn’t certain the Archbishop, who is facing calls to step down after a damning report found the Church of England covered up sexual abuse by a barrister, was “serious about reform”.
The Archbishop has been under increasing pressure over his “failures” to alert authorities about John Smyth QC’s “abhorrent” abuse of children and young men.
A petition by some members of the General 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 the three clergy members who launched the petition, said he has been in touch with victims of different abuses, many of whom still feel that “not much has changed” in how they are treated by the church.
“They feel gaslighted, they feel neglected, they feel as if people won’t meet with them,” he said.
Fr Robert Thompson
“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 independent Makin review into Smyth’s abuse was published last week, concluding he might have been brought to justice had Mr Welby formally reported it to police a decade ago.
Smyth died aged 75 in Cape Town in 2018 while under investigation by Hampshire Police, and so was “never brought to justice for the abuse”, the review said.
John Smyth speaking to Channel 4 in 2017. Pic: Channel 4 News
Across five decades in three different countries and involving as many as 130 boys and young men in the UK and Africa, Smyth is said to have subjected his victims to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks.
The Archbishop said he had “no idea or suspicion of this abuse” before 2013 but acknowledged the review had found that after its wider exposure that year he had “personally failed to ensure” it was “energetically investigated”.
Mr Welby knew Smyth because of his attendance at Iwerne Christian camps in the 1970s, but the review said there was no evidence he had “maintained any significant contact” with the barrister in later years.
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‘Monarchs within their own diocese’
Fr Thompson said a “complete culture change” was needed in the episcopacy, while safeguarding must 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 become an “enormous crisis” facing the church, he said a lack of accountability of bishops and senior staff calls for a change in its governance.
“Hold us to account in parliament,” he said, adding that at present bishops can “can get away with far too much” and they “almost act as monarchs within their own diocese”.
‘We must see change’
The petition by church members 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 see change, for the sake of survivors, for the protection of the vulnerable, and for the good of the church – and we share this determination across 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 not “solve the safeguarding problem”, it would “be a very clear indication that a line has been drawn, and that we must move towards independence of safeguarding”.
She said: “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 are in danger of losing complete credibility on that front.”
Giles Fraser, vicar of St Anne’s in Kew, west London, described it as a “terrible situation”, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I’m afraid he’s really lost the confidence of his clergy, he’s lost the confidence of many of his bishops and his position is completely untenable.”
Mr Welby, speaking to Channel 4 when the report was published, said he had been giving resignation “a lot of thought” – but added he had “taken advice” from senior colleagues and insisted: “I am 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 is never a place for covering up abuse”.
UK
Masked burglars ‘raid’ Windsor Castle grounds ‘while William, Kate and children slept at home on estate’
Masked burglars have stolen farm vehicles from the Windsor Castle estate while members of the Royal Family are believed to have been asleep nearby.
Two men scaled a 6ft fence on the night of 13 October and used a stolen truck to break through a security gate, The Sun first reported.
The pair then fled with a pick-up and a quad bike that were stored in a barn.
The King and Queen were not in residence.
But the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their three children George, 11, Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Louis were believed to have been in their home, Adelaide Cottage, on the estate, according to The Sun.
The family moved there in 2022.
In a statement, Thames Valley Police said: “At around 11.45pm on Sunday 13 October, we received a report of burglary at a property on Crown Estate land near to the A308 in Windsor.
“Offenders entered a farm building and made off with a black Isuzu pick-up and a red quad bike. They then made off towards the Old Windsor/Datchet area.
“No arrests have been made at this stage and an investigation is ongoing.”
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On Christmas Day 2021, a man climbed a fence at Windsor Castle armed with a crossbow and claimed he wanted to kill Queen Elizabeth II.
Jaswant Singh Chail was handed a nine-year custodial sentence for treason, possession of an offensive weapon and making threats to kill.
The UK is braced for “disruptive snow” as yellow weather warnings cover large parts of the country until Tuesday – with the Met Office saying there is the “potential” for the alerts to be “escalated”.
The forecaster has warned up to 20cm of snow may accumulate in the worst affected areas as the country experiences its “first taste of winter”.
The Met Office has also told people to expect ice, cold temperatures and wintry showers this week.
Check the forecast in your area
A yellow warning for snow and ice is in place for much of the north of the country – covering areas in the East Midlands, Yorkshire, Wales and the north of England – from 7pm on Monday night to 10am on Tuesday morning.
Those in the impacted areas have been told power cuts are possible and mobile phone coverage might be affected.
The Met Office has said there is a “slight chance” some rural communities could be cut off and that bus and train services may be delayed or cancelled.
People are also warned to be careful not to slip or fall on icy surfaces.
The Met Office has said there will be bright spells across northern and eastern areas throughout today, but rain in the south and west will gradually spread northeastwards and turn to snow over northern hills.
Parts of the UK are experiencing their ‘first taste of winter’, says the Met Office. File pic: PA
Tom Morgan, Met Office meteorologist, said: “We could see some disruptive snow in the Pennine regions, in particular, the Peak District as well, especially Monday night, but we could well see some impacts lasting on until Tuesday morning’s rush hour.
“Even down to lower levels, we could well see some snow as well, so quite a bit of disruption possible by Tuesday morning, and then the week ahead is likely to stay cold nationwide, a windy day on Tuesday, and then winter showers through the week ahead.”
Mr Morgan said that despite a “mild” start to the month, the cold conditions are more typical of “mid-winter to late-winter”.
“What we can say is that it’s going to be very cold for the time of year, there will be widespread overnight frosts, and a few locations where there’s snow on the ground,” he continued.
The yellow weather warnings in place across the UK
Meanwhile, a yellow snow and ice weather warning that came into force at 4pm on Sunday will end at 11am this morning.
The warning covers the northern tip of Scotland and people there have been told there may be icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.
The Met Office has said there is “potential” for both yellow warnings to be “escalated”.
In southern England, a typical maximum temperature for this time of year is 11C (52F), but daytime highs for the week ahead are forecast to be around 5C (41F), while some parts of Scotland will reach “only just above freezing”, Mr Morgan said.
The meteorologist said the public can best prepare for the wintry weather by checking their cars are suitable for icy and potentially snowy conditions and to take extra supplies including food, blankets and a fully charged mobile phone with them on journeys.
He added there were “likely” to be changes to the weather warnings in the coming days, and that “winter flurries” could be seen in the south of England later in the week.
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Despite the cold conditions, the “whole of the UK” will enjoy more sunshine this week, the meteorologist added.
He said: “There’ll be some snow showers in the peripheries of the UK, particularly northern Scotland, and down the east and the west coast, but if you live inland and you live in the south, there’ll be lots of sparkly blue skies on the most days through Tuesday to Friday.”
It comes as a cold weather alert issued by the UK Health Security Agency, which was introduced at 9am on Sunday, will be in place until 9am on Thursday.
It covers a large area of England, north of Northhampton. The alert is triggered when there is a risk that healthcare services might face extra pressure and is designed to prepare those who are “particularly vulnerable” and “likely to struggle to cope”.
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