Sexual Abuse: Anglican Archbishop faces pressure to resign

The Archbishop of the Anglican Communion Justin Welby, has come under pressure to resign, for covering a series of sexual abuse in the church.

Three members of the Anglican Communion national assembly, made this call on Monday, after a report surfaced, stating that the Church of England had covered up a serial abuse case.

The members of the church’s assembly, referred to as the General Synod, have also started a petition demanding that Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby quit in the wake of the revelations.

The report had disclosed that the Church had repeatedly failed to act over abhorrent abuse carried out by John Smyth, a lawyer who organised evangelical summer camps in the 1970s and 1980s.

The report stated, “John Smith is believed to have attacked as many as 130 boys and young men at his home in southern England after grooming them at the camps, which would make Smyth the most prolific known serial abuser associated with the Church.

“Welby could and should have formally reported the abuse to authorities in 2013, when he claimed to have first learned of it.”

Welby, expressed his regrets over the incident but maintained he had no idea or suspicion of this abuse before 2013 when he became archbishop.

Smyth died aged 75 in South Africa in 2018 while under investigation by British police and never faced any criminal charges.