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john smithA barrister who ran a Christian summer camp is believed to be the worst abuser linked to the Church of England.
The publication of a damning report by the Church to conceal its crimes prompted the former The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, resigned last year.
Independent makin review concluded that Mr Smith could have been brought to justice if the archbishop had formally alerted authorities in 2013.
Following Mr Welby’s resignation, Mr Smith’s victims have called for more senior clergy members involved in the scandal to resign.
Here’s a timeline of what Mr Welby knew about the abuse and when, according to the Makin Review.
1970s
In 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978 Justin Welby Participates in summer Christian Iverne camps.
John Smith abused children in the 1970s and 1980s when he was a leader at Iverne Trust camps, during the same years Mr Welby attended the camp.
1978
Mr Welby lives with the Rev Mark Ruston and is heard having a “serious” conversation with him about Smith.
Mr Welby has since said that he does not remember this exchange and that he was not aware of the abuse by Smith at this time.
1981
Around Easter that year, Smith takes the four victims on a ski trip to Switzerland, visiting St. Michael’s Church in Paris on the way and back.
Mr. Welby is not ordained at the moment, but worships in church while working for a Paris-based oil company.
The church’s rector, the Rev Peter Sertin, later warned Mr Welby about Smith, saying: “One of the boys had a chat with me”, and advised him to stay away from Smith.
Mr Welby told the review that Mr Certin’s warning was “vague” and that he described Smith as “not a good man, not really a good man”.
1982
The first report of Smith’s abuse, known as the Ruston Report, was written and shown only to a “small group” of people.
Mr. Welby is not among them.
1991
Mr. Welby has been ordained as a deacon in the Church of England.
21 March 2013
Mr Welby has been established as archbishop Of canterbury At a service in 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 she suffered at the hands of Smith.
This information is emailed to the Archbishop’s personal chaplain, the Rev Dr Joe Bailey Wells, who replied that she would inform the Archbishop of Canterbury, noting that Mr Welby would know Smith “personally” due to his involvement in the camps.
August 2013
Mr Welby has been made aware of allegations of abuse against Smith during his time as Archbishop of Canterbury.
The review found that it was likely other staff members there would have been informed at the same time.
The archbishop has been told that the police have been informed about the allegations. They were also advised that the local authority had been informed.
Neither of these cases were proven, 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 informed through his personal pastor 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 that he had not done so, and he later said again that he had become confused and could not remember what had actually happened at the time.
8 August 2013
Mr Welby confirmed he knew Smith in the 1970s and requested contact with the Iverne Trust who now ran the camp.
February 2017
A 30-minute investigative documentary broadcast on Channel 4 publicized Smith’s abuse.
Mr Welby issues a statement and appears on LBC radio shortly afterwards, stating that he intends to come forward in the interests of victims and confirm his knowledge of the abuse since 2013.
After the documentary airs, Smith’s survivors want to meet Mr. Welby.
11 August 2018
Smith died at the age of 75 in Cape Town while under investigation by Hampshire Police.
Police were planning to question Smith over allegations that he beat children in the 1970s and 1980s when he was a leader at Iverne Trust camps.
Hampshire authorities had sent a preliminary file to the Crown Prosecution Service and were preparing to ask him to voluntarily return to the UK for questioning.
April 2021
Mr Welby met survivors four years after the Channel 4 documentary was first broadcast.
7 November 2024
The Makin Review is published, concluding that the “disgusting” abuse of more than 100 children and young people by Smith was covered up for years in the Church of England.
The report also concludes that if Mr Welby had formally alerted authorities in 2013, Smith could have been brought to justice.
The report said that around 30 boys and young men in the UK have been directly physically and psychologically abused – and around 85 boys and young men in African countries, including Zimbabwe, have been physically abused – making the total “likely much higher”.
Mr Welby says he is “deeply sorry that this abuse occurred” and reiterates his apology for not meeting survivors of Smith’s abuse sooner.
He accepts the report’s conclusion that he failed to ensure that the abuse was “vigorously investigated” after he became aware of it in 2013.
In an interview with Channel 4 News on the day the report was released, Mr Welby says he had given “a lot of thought” about resigning, but said he would not step down.
In the week following the publication of the report, a range of people, from the Bishop of Newcastle to abuse victims and members of the General Synod, have insisted that Mr Welby’s position has become “untenable”.
12 November 2024
A petition calling for Mr Welby to step down from his role as Archbishop of Canterbury over his failure to alert authorities to Smith’s abuse has drawn more than 11,500 signatures.
The petition was started by three members of the General Synod, the church’s parliament.
Later that day, in a statement released by Lambeth Palace, Mr Welby announced he would resign, saying he was “stepping aside in the best interests of the Church of England”.
In the statement, Mr Welby says that when he was first informed of the abuse in 2013 and informed the police, he “mistakenly” believed that “appropriate solutions would be pursued”.
“It is absolutely clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and tragic period between 2013 and 2024,” he said.
The king accepted the resignation.