Archbishop of Canterbury steps down

[johnny crossan]

These interventions by the Bishop of Newcastle seem rather odd, seems she was upset by a letter to her a few weeks ago which she has raised again now after being criticized for not letting the CoE's own disciplinary process conclude. She is in the running to succeed Welby but calls are now being made for her to withdraw.

 

[Vic]

It’s a horrific read but the full report is here, seen quite a lot of erroneous takes of what it actually finds. There’s an awful lot more the church needs to learn (and people to be held accountable) than Welby resigning.

https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/independent-learning-lessons-review-john-smyth-qc-november-2024.pdf

Why are the police forces who were told (2013-16) not having an inquiry?

Did none of the victims go direct to the police? Would the police in the 80s have acted? Coercive behaviour wasn't really understood so it would have been dismissed as consenting behaviour - especially if based on second-hand reports rather than a victim's own testimony.

Parents (of pupils at Winchester College) were divided on whether the police should be involved but nothing stopped any of the parents reporting it. The headmaster's autobiograohy in 1989 included "I was told the extraordinary news that the neighbouring barrister (Smyth)
has gained such personal control over a few of the senior boys in the group, and has
kept it after they left the school, that he was claiming to direct their burgeoning
relationships with girls, and was, with their consent punishing them physically when
they confessed to him, they had sinned. The world of conservative evangelicalism was
left in twain. Absurd and baseless rumours were circulated that he was an unhinged
tyrant, the embodiment of Satan. He must be banished. And – quietly but efficiently –
he was. He left the Winchester district and them the United Kingdom. He departed for
Africa with his family and, by me, has not been heard of since."

The church authorities were reporting historic abuse (from 30 years before) to the police (Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, the Met, and Thames Valley) but are being blamed for not following up (which is why Welby has resigned).

The abuse started when there was an expectation of confidentiality, rather than now when anyone with a safeguarding duty (a teacher etc) has to tell victims (adults, children) that "if you disclose something to me I might have to report it to the police" (and then leave the police to investigate).

In Ireland bishops have a statutory duty to report sex abusers and it is a criminal offence not to do so. I don’t think we have an equivalent.

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06793/

 

[jimharri]

In Ireland bishops have a statutory duty to report sex abusers and it is a criminal offence not to do so. I don’t think we have an equivalent.

Christ knows, we've had enough scandals down the decades over here.

Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in Ireland - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

The vast majority of priests are decent enough men, but abuse (sexual and otherwise) was rife in the second half of the 20th century. Try to catch The Magdalene Sisters film if you can. It's a brilliant, but horrifying, account of how teenage girls (a lot of them pregnant but not married; which was seen as bringing shame on the family back then) were treated by the Catholic Church, in this case nuns.

 

[Bill Walker]

Ban all religion, world would be a better safer place

If only mate, trouble is, most people in the world are religious.

 

[KS55]

Christ knows, we've had enough scandals down the decades over here.

Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in Ireland - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

The vast majority of priests are decent enough men, but abuse (sexual and otherwise) was rife in the second half of the 20th century. Try to catch The Magdalene Sisters film if you can. It's a brilliant, but horrifying, account of how teenage girls (a lot of them pregnant but not married; which was seen as bringing shame on the family back then) were treated by the Catholic Church, in this case nuns.

The Irish legislation came in about 10(?) years ago. Not much changed in that abuse was still being covered up, so the then Toaiseach wrote to every bishop along the lines:
Oi, did you not notice the new laws? If you continue to ignore your statutory duty, we’re coming for you. Get your house in order.

 

[unsworthblue]

Another WEF **** of the highest order

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

This is a significant point from the Makin Report that does not seem to have widely reported:

"In the statement, Mr Welby says he believed “wrongly” that an “appropriate resolution would follow” when he had first been informed of the abuse in 2013 and that police had been notified. "

What Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby knew of John Smyth’s abuse and when

The Makin Review concluded that prolific abuser John Smyth might have been brought to justice had the archbishop formally alerted authorities in 2013.

www.standard.co.uk

The police who initially investigated Saville were allegedly told to 'look the other way' by some high up establishment figure. I can see this being brushed under the very same rug.

 

[meltonblue]

The police who initially investigated Saville were allegedly told to 'look the other way' by some high up establishment figure. I can see this being brushed under the very same rug.

Worth reading the full report, it’s not really the same thing. The cover up was entirely within the church for two decades followed by incompetence.

 

[Vic]

It’s a horrific read but the full report is here, seen quite a lot of erroneous takes of what it actually finds. There’s an awful lot more the church needs to learn (and people to be held accountable) than Welby resigning.

https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/independent-learning-lessons-review-john-smyth-qc-november-2024.pdf

Lots of erroneous takes on here from people who haven't read the report.

 

[Vic]

The police who initially investigated Saville were allegedly told to 'look the other way' by some high up establishment figure. I can see this being brushed under the very same rug.

No evidence of that.