UK's top cleric resigns following report into sexual abuse of children at Church of England

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby on Tuesday announced his resignation after a report found the Church of England had failed to adequately address abuses by a barrister.

Welby's decision comes after the independent Makin Review into Barrister John Smyth's abuse of children and young men was published last week, prompting growing pressure on the archbishop.

"Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King (Charles), I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury. The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth," Welby said in a statement.

He noted that in 2013 when he was informed and told that police had been notified, Welby said he "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 added.

Smyth’s actions, described in the report as "prolific, brutal, and horrific,” took place in the UK and later in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

The report by Keith Makin accuses senior leaders within the Church of England of a cover-up, further spotlighting Welby’s role and knowledge of the events.