Archbishop Welby’s Speech on Abuse Scandal Draws Condemnation from Victims

Victims of the Church of England abuse scandal have criticized the Archbishop of Canterbury for a speech, asserting that it trivialized significant shortcomings in safeguarding. During his initial public address since his resignation announcement last month, Justin Welby informed the House of Lords that accountability was necessary following a review that highlighted deficiencies in managing the scandal. Survivors of abuse expressed that they were “dismayed” and “disgusted” by the address, noting its absence of remorse for survivors and its overly “frivolous” tone, which included jokes. The Makin review concluded that Mr Welby “could and should” have reported the prolific child abuser John Smyth to the police in 2013 and faulted the Church for its insufficient efforts to prevent additional abuse until Smyth’s death. On Thursday in the Lords, the archbishop stated: “The reality is that there comes a time if you are technically leading a particular institution or area of responsibility where the shame of what has gone wrong – whether one is personally responsible or not – must require a head to roll.” He continued: “And there is only, in this case, one head that rolls well enough.” He additionally mentioned a 14th-century predecessor who was beheaded, remarking: “I hope not literally.” Mark Stibbe, who had previously informed the BBC of being groomed and beaten by Smyth in the 1970s, commented: “I object to the use of such a frivolous tone in such a serious matter – a matter that has been, and continues to be, a matter of life and death to some.” He further stated that the discussion of only one individual being held accountable for the scandal was “disturbing.” He asserted: “Smyth survivors want all those responsible to stand down.” He concluded: “If Justin Welby is as serious about safeguarding as he claims, then this must happen.” Another victim of Smyth, identified by the pseudonym Graham Jones in the Makin report, characterized the tenor of Mr Welby’s speech as “entirely wrong.” He informed the BBC: “It did not appear to be one of sorrow which is what was required.” He continued: “This would have been an opportunity to look into the camera and say sorry but instead he talked frivolously about a matter that has led to suicide attempts by victims.” He concluded: “I was disgusted by the speech.” Smyth, who was a barrister and a lay preacher, is thought to have abused over 100 boys and young men at Christian summer camps in England during the 1970s and 1980s, and subsequently in South Africa and Zimbabwe. His abuse is believed to have persisted until 2018, the year he passed away in Cape Town at the age of 75. The independent Makin review indicated that Church officials, including Mr Welby, “could and should” have reported Smyth to the police and South African authorities in 2013. It further stated that Mr Welby bore a “personal and moral responsibility” to take more action to prevent additional abuse by Smyth in South Africa. The review additionally recommended that greater efforts should have been made to reach out to Smyth’s victims. In his resignation statement issued a month prior, the archbishop declared that he “must take personal and institutional responsibility” for his actions upon being initially informed of the abuse. He stated that he was “told that police had been notified” in 2013 and that he “believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow.” He also mentioned that he resigned “in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse.” During a debate on homelessness in the Lords on Thursday, Mr Welby commenced his remarks with a light-hearted comment, expressing pity for his diary secretary who had diligently organized his schedule for the upcoming year before his resignation was announced. He proceeded by stating that safeguarding within the Church of England now presented “a completely different picture to the past.” He added: “However, when I look back at the last 50 or 60 years, not only through the eyes of the Makin report – however one takes one’s view of personal responsibility – it is clear that I had to stand down.” In response to the speech, Mr Stibbe suggested that the archbishop seemed to be retreating from his earlier statements in his resignation speech regarding his personal responsibility for managing the Smyth case. Mr Stibbe inquired: “Yes, he says he is technically and institutionally culpable. But is he now questioning his personal responsibility?” Concurrently, Mr Jones expressed disagreement with the archbishop’s remarks concerning his diary secretary’s workload. Mr Jones commented: “He said he pitied his diary secretary without a word of pity for the victims of abuse.” Helen-Ann Hartley, the Bishop of Newcastle, also voiced her condemnation. She stated that she was “deeply disturbed” by certain aspects of the archbishop’s language. She remarked: “To make light of serious matters of safeguarding failures in this way yet again treats victims and survivors of church abuse without proper respect or regard.” She further expressed being “disappointed” by the sight of other bishops in the House of Lords laughing at some of the jokes. Bishop Hartley was the highest-ranking member of the clergy to advocate for Mr Welby’s resignation following the publication of the Makin report. She has since informed the BBC that her Church of England colleagues have “frozen out” her. The archbishop is scheduled to resign on 6 January, with the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, assuming interim leadership until a permanent successor is appointed. The process of finding a successor is anticipated to last approximately six months. An announcement made earlier this week confirmed that Bishop Jo Bailey Wells, who previously served as the archbishop’s personal chaplain, had “stepped back from her ministry” in the wake of the Makin report. A spokesperson for the Diocese of London stated that a safeguarding risk assessment would be conducted. This development follows Wednesday’s confirmation from Lambeth Palace that the archbishop would not be delivering the customary Christmas Day sermon at Canterbury Cathedral. BBC Action Line: For those impacted by the issues 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. Further details on our external linking policy are available.