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Welby 'overwhelmed' by child sex abuse allegations
The Independent
|March 30, 2025
Former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has expressed being overwhelmed” by the sheer volume of child sex abuse allegations brought to his attention during his tenure.
Dr Welby's resignation in November followed a damning report that revealed his failure to adequately address reports concerning serial abuser John Smyth, who held significant influence within the Church of England.
The report concluded that Smyth, considered the most prolific abuser connected to the Church, could have faced justice sooner had Dr Welby formally reported the allegations to authorities in 2013. This inaction allowed Smyth to evade accountability for a longer period, highlighting a critical lapse in safeguarding procedures within the Church.
In his first interview since his resignation, the former archbishop told the BBC he failed to follow proper procedure because of the sheer scale and size of the problem.
This story is from the March 30, 2025 edition of The Independent.
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