Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby says a 'head had to roll' in final House of Lords speech
5 December 2024, 18:36
The Archbishop of Canterbury said a “head had to roll” after the Church of England’s handling of the John Smyth sexual abuse scandal was made clear in a damming report.
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Justin Welby announced his resignation last month after the independent Makin review found John Smyth - one of the most prolific sexual abusers in the Church’s history - could have been brought to justice in 2013 had the Archbishop reported him to the police.
Speaking publicly for the first time today, Welby told the House of Lords it was “clear” he had to resign after the damming report was made public.
In his valedictory speech to the Lords, the Archbishop said: "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.
"And there is only, in this case, one head that rolls well enough."
Justin Welby says it was ‘clear’ he had to quit after Church of England abuse report
Welby offered his thanks to people in the House of Lords, saying: "This 12 years, I cannot think of a single moment where I've come in here where the hair on the back of my neck has not stood up at the privilege of being allowed to sit on these benches.
"It has been an extraordinary period and I've listened to so many debates of great wisdom, so many amendments of Bills that have improved them, so much hard work.
"And I've also found that despite the fact I still can't find my way around this building that the staff here are endlessly patient, as I look panic-struck when I suddenly find I'm standing on a green carpet and not a red one and have guided me to the right place."
Mr Welby added: "I'm hugely grateful to noble lords who have been kind enough to send supportive and encouraging notes over the last few weeks. It has been a great privilege and strength to have that."
A senior bishop hit out at Welby after his speech, slamming his “tone” and accusing him of “making light” of the sexual abuse scandal.
Bishop of Newcastle Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, the only bishop to call publicly for Mr Welby's resignation in the days following the Makin Review's publication last month, said she was "deeply disturbed" by parts of the speech.
She said: "I am deeply disturbed by the language of 'a head had to roll' used by the Archbishop of Canterbury in his speech in the House of Lords this afternoon.
"It was, in my view unwise to say at the very least. 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.
"I was disappointed too to see other Lords Spiritual laughing at the jokes that were being made. I have this afternoon had several messages from across my diocese expressing dismay at the Archbishop's speech and the response of the other Lords Spiritual (with the exception of the Bishop of London's response).
"I repeat my call for transparency, accountability and independence when it comes to safeguarding in the Church of England and that the publication of the Makin Review must be a watershed for the Church of England and how it deals with safeguarding and how it attends to unhealthy cultures in its midst".
Smyth, who was a lay reader and led Christian summer camps, died aged 75 in Cape Town in 2018 while under investigation by Hampshire Police, and was "never brought to justice for the abuse", the review published last week said.
Mr Welby has acknowledged the review found that, after Smyth's abuse was subject to wider exposure in 2013, he had "personally failed to ensure" it was "energetically investigated".
The archbishop said he had "no idea or suspicion of this abuse" before 2013.
Over five decades between the 1970s until his death, Smyth is said to have subjected as many as 130 boys and young men in the UK and Africa to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks, permanently marking their lives.
