Former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has admitted he failed to act on abuse allegations within the Church of England.
Gatekeepers News reports that the former Archbishop while speaking with BBC, said situation was overwhelming.
Welby, who became the first Archbishop in over a thousand years to resign due to a Church-related scandal, stepped down in November following an independent review that found he did not adequately follow up on reports about serial abuser John Smyth.
The 68-year-old archbishop said that while the number of cases was “a reason – not an excuse” for his inaction, he ultimately “got it wrong”.
He 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 – and yes I knew Smyth but it was an absolutely overwhelming few weeks.”
“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.”
Graham, One of Smyth’s victims who reported the abuse allegation in 2013, said “The Archbishop suggests he was just too busy. No one should be too busy to deal with a safeguarding disclosure. The Archbishop has never answered why there were not enormous red flags when told about horrific abuse.”
Smyth, a barrister and senior figure in a Christian charity, abused over 100 boys and young men in England and Africa, subjecting them to extreme physical, psychological, and s*xual abuse.
The Church of England was aware of the allegations by 2013, including Welby. However according to the Makin Review – an independent report led by safeguarding expert Keith Makin; he failed to escalate the case when it was presented to him.
Welby had initially resisted calls to step down, but after the review’s release, he acknowledged his responsibility and resigned.
During the interview, Welby reflected on the pressures faced by public figures. He said there is a “rush to judgment” and a lack of forgiveness for leaders who make mistakes.
