Abuse is a 'whole church problem' safeguarding lead warns in wake of Archbishop of Canterbury’s resignation

13 November 2024, 07:10 | Updated: 13 November 2024, 07:16

The culture of abuse is an institutional problem within the Church of England, its safeguarding head has warned in the wake of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s resignation.

Justin Welby stepped down on Tuesday after a report found he could and should have reported John Smyth, who is thought to have been the most prolific abuser associated with the church, when he first became aware of allegations in 2013.

The former barrister is said to have subjected as many as 130 boys and young men to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological, and spiritual attacks across five decades in the UK and Africa.

A petition by members of the General Synod - the Church of England's parliament - received thousands of signatures calling for Mr Welby to step down.

Now, the COE’s safeguarding head has warned that Welby’s departure will not end the culture of abuse within the institution.

"I'm absolutely clear that we have to admit that there is a problem and there has been a problem with the church, with abuse and with responses to abuse," Joanne Grenfell told Sky News.

"I think we know we're not the only institution that's struggling with that. But that's not an excuse. That's just a kind of comment on the times that we're in, where at last it feels possible to talk about abuse and to address that at the level of society.

"This problem of abuse in the church is a whole church problem. And therefore, it has to be a whole church response. It's about culture. It's about leadership, it's about theology.

"So, yes, abuse matters. But the whole context is what needs to change."

It comes after a man abused by John Smyth has told LBC News he thinks the Archbishop of Canterbury only resigned because he was under "immense pressure".

Graham - not his real name - said that Mr Welby “hasn’t done the right thing” and that he only stepped down because of the “immense pressure” he was under to do so.

He is adamant that the Church of England had “full disclosure of the abuse” by 2013 and that Mr Welby was aware of the allegations before this.

The report concluded Smyth might have been brought to justice had Mr Welby formally reported it to police soon after he was installed as archbishop 11 years ago.

Smyth died aged 75 in Cape Town in 2018 while still under investigation by Hampshire Police.

Graham is adamant that the Church of England had “full disclosure of the abuse” by 2013 and that Mr Welby was aware of the allegations before this.

He told LBC News: “Until yesterday evening he was absolutely adamant he wasn't going to resign. He hasn't done the right thing. He was under immense pressure and decided it was time to go. I don't believe it was the right thing at all.”

He said: “By 2013, there's absolutely no doubt the Church of England had disclosure of the abuse, knew its horror, and failed to stop him. So four years were wasted.

He later added: “We have never had full disclosure from the Archbishop.

“And to be perfectly honest, while I have no proof, I'm sorry, I just don't believe that he knew nothing prior to 2013.”

Graham has called for a "complete overhaul" of the Church of England's safeguarding with the victims treated as "troublemakers" and a "nuisance".

"Safeguarding in the Church of England needs a complete overhaul, needs outsourcing to an independent body with oversight that can actually do it with competence," he said.

"Many people have said worse than the abuse 40 years ago has been the handling by the Church of us over the past seven years. It has been tortuous.

"We are seen as troublemakers, we're not honourable whistleblowers. We are people being a nuisance and the lack of care and compassion is quite extraordinary."

In a statement Mr Welby said: "Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury.

BREAKING: The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, resigns

Read More: Read in full: Justin Welby's letter resigning as Archbishop of Canterbury

Read More: Welby’s resignation alone won’t deliver justice—real change means putting survivors first

"The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth. When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow.

"It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.

He continued: "It is my duty to honour my Constitutional and church responsibilities, so exact timings will be decided once a review of necessary obligations has been completed, including those in England and in the Anglican Communion.

"I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our profound commitment to creating a safer church.

"As I step down I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse. The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England. For nearly twelve years I have struggled to introduce improvements.

"It is for others to judge what has been done. In the meantime, I will follow through on my commitment to meet victims. I will delegate all my other current responsibilities for safeguarding until the necessary risk assessment process is complete.

"I ask everyone to keep my wife Caroline and my children in their prayers. They have been my most important support throughout my ministry, and I am eternally grateful for their sacrifice. Caroline led the spouses’ programme during the Lambeth Conference and has travelled tirelessly in areas of conflict supporting the most vulnerable, the women, and those who care for them locally.

"I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honoured to serve. I pray that this decision points us back towards the love that Jesus Christ has for every one of us.

"For above all else, my deepest commitment is to the person of Jesus Christ, my saviour and my God; the bearer of the sins and burdens of the world, and the hope of every person."

Survivors of John Smyth's abuse were said to be "hugely emotional" on hearing of the Archbishop of Canterbury's resignation.

Andrew Graystone, who wrote a book on Smyth's life, abuses and the Church of England's handling of matters, said he had spoken to some victims after Justin Welby made his announcement on Tuesday.

Asked what they had said, he said: "That he (Mr Welby) had to go because of his failures, but it doesn't begin to make things right."

He said it was a "hugely emotional day for them".

Sir Keir Starmer earlier refused to comment directly on Mr Welby's position, saying it was a "matter, in the end, for the church", but he made clear that Smyth's victims had been let down.

The Prime Minister said: "Let me be clear: of what I know of the allegations, they are clearly horrific in relation to this particular case, both in their scale and their content.

"My thoughts, as they are in all of these issues, are with the victims here who have obviously been failed very, very badly."

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.