Church of England Faces Extensive Progress After Damning Abuse Report

The Bishop of Gloucester stated that the Church of England (CofE) has a “very long way to go” following a critical report that revealed its concealment of “sickening” historic sexual abuse. Right Reverend Rachel Treweek noted that there were “lessons to learn” subsequent to the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, which occurred amidst pressure concerning his failure to report prolific child abuser John Smyth. “I hope [the resignation] has gone some small way in giving the signal that we are committed to putting survivors and victims at the forefront, and that it must no longer be about protecting the Church,” Bishop Treweek commented. Michael Beasley, the Bishop of Bath and Wells, characterized the Archbishop’s resignation as a “difficult decision” to undertake. The review concluded that Justin Welby “could and should” have reported John Smyth’s abuse of boys and young men to police in 2013. “I believe that stepping aside in in the best interests of the Church of England,” Bishop Welby declared in a statement. Bishop Treweek, who holds the distinction of being the first female diocesan bishop in the Church of England, informed BBC Radio Gloucestershire that she affirmed Mr Welby’s decision to resign was appropriate. “Obviously that’s not easy,” she added. “We have to keep the focus on victims and survivors and in all the sadness that will be experienced by many people around the Archbishop’s resignation, it’s really important that we don’t lose focus on the deep sadness and abuse the victims have experienced.” Bishop Beasley, who was appointed Bishop of Bath and Wells in 2022, further stated that the resignation “makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change.” “I think what he has done is put the church and safeguarding first and I can only respect that,” Mr Beasley remarked. “I really encourage people to look at what we are finding out in this Diocese and in other dioceses around the country, as our current safeguarding activity is independently audited.“Bath and Wells is going to be audited in April next year and we are really looking forward to all the learning that we will gain. It will show us where we need to learn and do better.”