Abuse Survivor Calls for Archbishop Welby’s Resignation Amid Church Scandal

An individual who survived abuse perpetrated by John Smyth has urged the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to step down from his position, citing Welby’s inaction upon becoming aware of the abuse in 2013. Andrew Morse informed the BBC that he endured abuse for a period of four years, commencing at age 17, throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He recounted being subjected to beatings by the British barrister, whom he encountered at Winchester College. Morse stated his belief that Justin Welby’s acknowledgment of insufficient action regarding the reports indicated that the Archbishop and the Church of England had, in essence, participated in a “cover-up”. Lambeth Palace has communicated that Mr. Welby does not intend to resign from his position. On Tuesday, during COP29 in Azerbaijan, the prime minister was questioned about his view on whether Mr. Welby ought to resign. Sir Keir Starmer remarked, “Of what I know of the allegations they are clearly horrific in this particular case both in their scale and content,” further stating his opinion that it “is a matter for the Church.” Starmer proceeded, saying: “My thoughts are with the victims who have obviously been failed very, very badly.” Mr. Morse’s demands for the archbishop’s resignation follow a recent independent investigation, headed by Keith Makin, which concluded that Smyth could have faced legal proceedings if Mr. Welby had reported the issue to the police upon first learning of it shortly after assuming his office in 2013. The inquiry indicated that as of July 2013, “the Church of England knew, at the highest level, about the abuse that took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s,” explicitly identifying Mr. Welby as part of a group that would have possessed this knowledge. It determined that “several opportunities were missed” to formally report the abuse to law enforcement in the UK. The investigation states that “there was a distinct lack of curiosity shown by these senior figures and a tendency towards minimisation of the matter.” Mr. Morse informed BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, “I think his admission that in 2013, which is really modern day in comparison to the 1970s and 1980s, that he didn’t do enough, that he wasn’t rigorous, that he was enacted is enough in my mind to confirm that Justin Welby along with countless other Anglican churchmen were part of a cover-up about the abuse.” Smyth, who passed away in Cape Town in 2018 at the age of 70, faced accusations of assaulting boys at his residence in Winchester. These boys he had encountered at a Christian summer camp in Dorset throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Mr. Morse recounted meeting Smyth at Winchester College, where chapel services and evangelical Christian gatherings took place, and to which Smyth was invited as an external speaker. Mr. Morse stated, “I believe he was a predator.” He continued, “He picked on a few boys within that group, befriend us, invited us back out to lunch at his family home and slowly over the years became a sort of father figure to me.” Mr. Morse clarified that Smyth cultivated a relationship that subsequently escalated into physical and violent interactions. Smyth informed Mr. Morse that he was “sinning” and was required to “mark those sense in a form of repentance that really would mean something to the Lord.” He recounted, “On my 21st birthday John Smyth told me that I was still sinning and that I required what he called a ‘special beating’.” He added, “That was beatings of hundreds of lashes of a cane and I realised that I couldn’t take things any longer.” “I firstly wrote a couple of anonymous letters to Christian leaders and to John Smyth but when those had no affect and I decided to take my own life.” Details of Smyth’s physical abuse against boys came to light through an investigation conducted by Channel 4 News in February 2017. This investigation followed a 1982 report by the Iwerne Trust, which remained undisclosed to the public until 2016. The Makin review indicates that even though his “appalling” conduct was recognized in the 1980s, he was never completely exposed, which allowed him to persist with his abuse. Smyth was advised to depart the UK and subsequently relocated to Zimbabwe, with no police referral having been made. In Zimbabwe, he faced charges for the manslaughter of a 16-year-old boy who was participating in one of his summer camps. Smyth was acquitted of this offense. The independent review overseen by Keith Makin states that during this period, church officials “knew of the abuse and failed to prevent further abuse.” Mr. Morse informed the BBC of his conviction that the “cover-up” persisted until 2017, when Channel 4’s report was aired, subsequently prompting a “proper police investigation.” Mr. Morse asserted, “That had nothing to do with the Church or Justin Welby or the actions of Lambeth Palace.” He added, “It was the outside media who held the Church to account.” “I think even by their own rules they should have been much more proactive. John Smyth was still alive at this time. “We know now he was abusing teenagers in Africa so there was plenty of opportunity for that to stop and for the police to become involved.” “It is those African lives and those African victims that are very much on my conscience – and I would hope on the archbishop’s conscience too.” Mr. Morse clarified his belief that if Mr. Welby were to relinquish his position as Archbishop of Canterbury, it would “be an opportunity to stand” in solidarity with Smyth’s abuse victims. Mr. Morse commented, “I think the church is incredibly stringent with its rules for every day vicars and those lower down the scale about what to do when abuse is reported to you.” He concluded, “I believe that now is an opportunity for him to resign.” On Monday, Helen Ann Harlety, the Bishop of Newcastle, emerged as the highest-ranking member of the clergy to advocate for the Archbishop’s resignation. However, notwithstanding the increasing demands and pressure for Mr. Welby to step down, Lambeth Palace has stated that he has no plans to resign. Lambeth Palace declared, “The Archbishop reiterates his horror at the scale of John Smyth’s egregious abuse, as reflected in his public apology.” “He has apologised profoundly both for his own failures and omissions, and for the wickedness, concealment and abuse by the church more widely. “As he has said, he had no awareness or suspicion of the allegations before he was told in 2013 – and therefore having reflected, he does not intend to resign.” Winchester College informed the BBC that it offers an unreserved apology for its role in the victim’s “terrible experiences.” BBC Action Line: For those impacted by the matters discussed in this report, information on available support can be found here. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. 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