The Archbishop of Canterbury “could and should” have formally reported the abuse to authorities in 2013, the review said It added that some of the victims felt a “sense of personal betrayal by Justin Welby” after promises were made on a Zoom call to investigate all the Clergy identified as possibly not acting on information they had.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has revealed he considered resigning after a report found the Church of England covered up sexual abuse by a barrister for years. John Smyth QC, who abused as many as 130 boys and young men at Christian summer camps, could have been brought to justice a decade ago, an independent review found.

A barrister accused of abusing more than 100 children and young men was covered up by the Church of England for years, a report has found. John Smyth QC is believed to be the most prolific serial abuser associated with the church, accused of abusing as many as 130 boys across five decades in the UK and Africa.

Following our investigation the Church of England commissioned a review led by former social services director Keith Makin. It sets out the horrifying scale of the abuse over many decades in the UK, in Zimbabwe and South Africa, accusing church officers of a cover-up.

The abuse spanned five decades and three countries with as many as many as 130 boys and young men victimised, a review found.