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

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has resigned following days of pressure after a damning review into the most prolific abuser associated with the Church of England.

In a statement on Tuesday announcing his resignation, Mr Welby repeated his claim that he was informed of the abuse in 2013, but was told at the time that police had already been notified – which later proved not to be the case.

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

Over five decades between the 1970s until his death, Smyth is said to have subjected as many as 130 boys and young men in the UK and Africa to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks, permanently marking their lives.

Here is a timeline of what Mr Welby knew of the abuse and when, according to the Makin Review.

– 1970s:

In 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978 Justin Welby attends summer Christian Iwerne camps.

John Smyth abused children in the 1970s and 1980s while he was a leader at the Iwerne Trust camps, during the same years Mr Welby attended.

– 1978:

Mr Welby lodges with the Rev Mark Ruston and is overheard having a “grave” conversation with him about Smyth.

Mr Welby has since said that he does not recall this exchange and that he was not aware of the abuse by Smyth at this time.

– 1981:

Around Easter that year, Smyth takes four victims on a ski trip to Switzerland, visiting St Michael’s Church in Paris on the way there and the way back.

Mr Welby is not ordained at this time but worshipped at the church while working for an oil company based in Paris.

The church rector, the Rev Peter Sertin, later warns Mr Welby about Smyth, saying: “One of the boys had a chat with me”, and advises him to stay away from Smyth.

Mr Welby told the review that Mr Sertin’s warning was “vague” and that he had described Smyth as “Not a nice man, really not a nice man.”

– 1982:

The first report into Smyth’s abuse, known as the Ruston Report, is written and shown to a “small group” of people only.

Mr Welby is not among them.

– 1991:

Mr Welby is ordained as a deacon in the Church of England.

– March 21 2013:

Mr Welby is installed as Archbishop of Canterbury in a service at Canterbury Cathedral.

His appointment was announced in late 2012.

– July 2013:

A victim contacts the Bishop of Ely’s safeguarding adviser with details of the abuse he has suffered at the hands of Smyth.

This information is emailed to the archbishop’s personal chaplain, the Rev Dr Jo Bailey Wells, who responds saying she will inform the Archbishop of Canterbury, noting that Mr Welby may know Smyth “personally” from their involvement with the camps.

– August 2013:

Mr Welby is made aware of the allegations of abuse against Smyth, in his capacity as Archbishop of Canterbury.

It is likely that other staff members there will have been told at the same time, the review found.

The archbishop is told that police have been informed of the allegations. He was also advised that the local authority had been informed.

Neither of these proved to be the case, but the review found it was “reasonable to conclude” that Mr Welby had been assured that these steps had been taken.

Mr Welby was also told via his personal chaplain that the South African Church had been alerted.

The former archbishop later said that he had personally written to the Primate in Cape Town, but he had not done so, and he, later again, said that he had got confused and had misremembered what had actually happened at the time.

– August 8 2013:

Mr Welby confirms he knew Smyth in the 1970s and requests contact be made with the Iwerne Trust regarding who is running the camps now.

– February 2017:

An investigative 30-minute documentary aired on Channel 4 makes Smyth’s abuse public.

Mr Welby issues a statement and appears on LBC radio shortly after, stating his intention is for victims’ interests to come forward and confirming his knowledge of the abuse since 2013.

After the documentary airs, survivors of Smyth seek a meeting with Mr Welby.

– August 11 2018:

Smyth dies aged 75 in Cape Town while under investigation by Hampshire Police.

Police had been planning on questioning Smyth over allegations that he beat children in the 1970s and 1980s while he was a leader at the Iwerne Trust camps.

Officers in Hampshire had passed a preliminary file to the Crown Prosecution Service and were preparing to ask him to return voluntarily to the UK for questioning.

– April 2021:

Mr Welby meets with survivors, four years after the Channel 4 documentary first aired.

– November 7 2024:

The Makin Review is published, concluding that Smyth’s “abhorrent” abuse of more than 100 children and young men was covered up within the Church of England for years.

The report also concludes that Smyth may have been brought to justice had Mr Welby formally alerted authorities in 2013.

While some 30 boys and young men are known to have been directly physically and psychologically abused in the UK – and around 85 boys and young men physically abused in African countries, including Zimbabwe – the total “likely runs much higher”, the report says.

Mr Welby says he is “deeply sorry that this abuse happened” and repeats an apology for failing to meet with survivors of Smyth’s abuse quick enough.

He recognises the report’s conclusion that he failed to ensure the abuse was “energetically investigated” after being made aware of it in 2013.

In an interview with Channel 4 News on the day of the report’s release, Mr Welby says he had given resigning “a lot of thought” but says he will not step down.

In the week following the report’s publication, a range of people, from the Bishop of Newcastle to abuse victims and members of the General Synod, insist that Mr Welby’s position has become “untenable”.

– November 12 2024:

A petition calling for Mr Welby to quit his role as Archbishop of Canterbury over his failure to alert authorities regarding Smyth’s abuse hits more than 11,500 signatures.

The petition was started by three members of the General Synod, the church’s parliament.

Later that day, Mr Welby announces he will resign, saying he is “stepping aside in the best interests of the Church of England” in a statement issued by Lambeth Palace.

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.

“It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024,” he said.

The King approved the resignation.