Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Urges “Radical Change” After Abuse Report

The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich has advocated for “radical change” in the wake of a report detailing the concealment of child abuse within the Church of England. The Right Reverend Martin Seeley received a single mention in the report concerning John Smyth QC’s abuse of over 100 children and young men. Bishop Seeley asserted his innocence of any misconduct and characterized Smyth’s actions as “horrific”. In a digital newsletter distributed to congregants, Bishop Seeley stated that the church “clearly must be deeply penitent and learn” from its “failures of safeguarding”. He also commented on the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s choice to step down due to the “gravity of the findings” presented in Keith Makin’s review. Bishop Seeley quoted, “The Archbishop has taken responsibility for the failures of safeguarding and is deeply sorry for the horrific abuse inflicted by John Smyth.” He added, “No words can undo the damage done to people’s lives both by John Smyth and by the failure of individuals in the church and other institutions.” The report contained an account from Reverend Rico Tice, indicating that Bishop Seeley had inquired about Smyth during an interview for the discernment process for ministry. The report further stated that the Suffolk bishop had no memory of posing the question. In his recent declaration, he additionally highlighted that the discernment process involved a sequence of one-to-one interviews with four distinct panel members over a period of three days, operating under stringent reporting protocols. Bishop Seeley emphasized his five years of service as a selection secretary, during which he participated in approximately 40 selection conferences, and would have utilized identical questions for every candidate. He stated: “I do remember this selection conference and I am certain I would have remembered if I had been asked to deviate from the normal questions.” He continued: “I am also certain I would have reported any information I was given relating to a safeguarding concern.” He affirmed: “I standby in every detail what I said in the report that I have no recollection of this whatsoever, of asking such a question, or of being asked to ask such a question.” He concluded: “I am truly horrified by the abuse Smyth perpetrated on young Christians and I support calls for the continued development of robust safeguarding processes.”