Justin Welby has he admitted he ‘got it wrong’ when handling child sex abuse allegations against John Smyth.
But the former Archbishop of Canterbury has defended his record after a report revealed he did not adequately follow up on reports on Smyth, a barrister who was prolifically involved in the Church of England.
Smyth subjected more than 100 boys and young men to ‘traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks’ over the course of five decades and died without being brought to justice. But his abuse had been an open secret among the clergy.
Welby now admits he got it wrong when he failed to act on allegations that were presented to him – but claims he was simply overwhelmed by the scale of the abuse Smyth was later found to have perpetuated.
However, he has been heavily criticised for his seemingly blasé perspective on the scandal, using his House of Lords resignation speech to crack jokes and appearing at a British Museum gala a day after announcing his intention to quit.
Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Welby said: ‘Every day more cases were coming across the desk that had been in the past, hadn’t been dealt with adequately, and this was just, it was another case.’
The ex-archbishop knew Smyth from his time at Iwerne Trust holiday camps in Dorset – where further abuse is alleged to have been committed by the barrister – but denied that played any part in his decision not to flag allegations to the authorities.
‘Yes I knew Smyth but it was an absolutely overwhelming few weeks,’ he added.
‘It was overwhelming, one was trying to prioritise – but I think it’s easy to sound defensive over this.
‘The reality is I got it wrong. As archbishop, there are no excuses.’
But one of Smyth’s victims, who reported his abuse in 2013, told the broadcaster: ‘No one should be too busy to deal with a safeguarding disclosure.’
The Makin Review found Smyth – who represented Christian morality campaigner Mary Whitehouse – might have been brought to justice if Dr Welby had reported the allegations to police in 2013.
Welby’s were not the only failings: Winchester college, where many of Smyth’s victims went, banned the abuser from the grounds but did not report him to the police, and a holiday camp abuse investigation was swept under the rug.
An abuse case in Zimbabwe, where he relocated, was dismissed, and Smyth was removed as a church leader in Cape Town after claims of inappropriate behaviour.
Smyth ultimately died in 2018 in South Africa, a year after the first abuse allegations against him were made public.
Confronted by Channel 4 News in 2017, the abuser said: ‘I’m not talking about that. I don’t know anything about that. I’m not answering any questions.’
Welby’s contrition comes after he previously planned to carry on with public duties including Christmas proceedings before resigning.
He had said in his resignation statement that it was his ‘duty to honour my Constitutional and church responsibilities’ throughout January, which were set to include Christmas services. Outrage put paid to that plan.
He was also cornered by Private Eye editor Ian Hislop at a British Museum gala that he shamelessly attended a day after announcing his resignation.
Writing in the magazine, Hislop criticised those who approached Welby to comfort him after he resigned in shame.
He said: ‘These particular Christians were far too keen to forgive each other for their sins and far too slow to seek justice for the poor victims in their flock.
‘Welby seemed to me to be unrepentant and unashamed. I am not convinced he has been punished enough – unlike the poor boys his friend so mercilessly flogged in the name of Christianity.’
And he sparked further outrage after giving a jocular resignation speech in the House of Lords in which he joked that ‘a head’ had ‘to roll’ over the scandal – before making a crass reference to 14th Century archbishop Simon of Sudbury, who was beheaded.
‘My Lords, it is often said and it is a cliche to say it – but hey, I am the Archbishop still – that if you want to make God laugh, make plans,’ he said.
Dame Sarah Mullally, the Bishop of London, could be seen visibly holding her hand to her face throughout the cringe-inducing valedictory speech.
Welby later apologised for causing ‘further distress’ to Smyth’s victims with his self-serving farewell.
