Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Harriet Sherwood

Justin Welby’s personal link to child abuser adds fuel to resignation calls

Justin Welby during a synod meeting
Welby was notified of allegations of Smyth’s abuse 11 years ago. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Calls for the archbishop of Canterbury to resign over “failures and omissions” regarding the sadistic abuser John Smyth have not come out of the blue.

Welby was notified of allegations of Smyth’s abuse 11 years ago. Channel 4 News brought them to public attention seven years ago, and last week’s independent review of the way the church handled the allegations has been more than five years in the making.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.