Bishop of Salisbury Describes John Smyth Abuse Report as “Horror Movie”

The Bishop of Salisbury has characterized the report concerning child abuser John Smyth as being “like a horror movie”. The Right Reverend Stephen Lake informed the BBC, stating: “The trouble is it’s not fiction, it’s real, and very real every day for victims and survivors.” Justin Welby stepped down from his role as Archbishop of Canterbury following increasing pressure to resign due to his failure to report Smyth, who had abused boys encountered at Christian camps. The Bishop conveyed to the BBC that Mr Welby’s successor must ensure that safeguarding practices are “front and centre”. Bishop Lake noted significant changes within the Church of England in recent years, but emphasized that “we need to make sure that whoever leads us has this [safeguarding] front and centre”. He further stated: “My focus is on the report itself and what we need to be doing for the victims and survivors as a result of this.” A statement issued by the Diocese of Salisbury indicated that the church’s primary attention should be directed towards the experiences of victims and the insights gained from them. The diocese encompasses an extensive region, including substantial parts of Wiltshire, Dorset, and the Channel Islands. Bishop Lake remarked: “Reading it [the Smyth report] is like a horror movie. This is our Jimmy Savile moment, our Rolf Harris moment.” Nevertheless, he observed that locally, individuals are “taking this seriously, caring about it because of what they believe”. He elaborated: “At a local level, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Every single one of our parishes has a safeguarding officer” He clarified that “Over the years, safeguarding practice has improved.” The statement from the diocese further indicated that it would “continue to work to implement good safeguarding practices, supported by clergy and volunteers in our parishes and advised by our professional safeguarding team”. It concluded: “We remain committed to engaging with victims and survivors of abuse.” For updates, follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.