Archbishop of Canterbury resigns over covering up child sexual abuse scandal

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, a leading figure of the Anglican Church, announced his resignation after an independent report concluded that he had failed to report the abuse against children by a sexual offender, who was associated with the Church of England.

In his resignation statement, Welby said he takes personal and institutional responsibility for failing to report the abuse when he first received information about it. 

The investigation report stated that "the Church of England knew, at the highest level, about the abuse that took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s," but Justin Welby and others avoided drawing attention to the heinous crime. 

Welby, also the most senior cleric of the Church of England, had faced calls to resign after a report last week found he had taken insufficient action to stop one of the Church's most prolific serial abusers named John Smyth.

Welby has played a central role in state occasions, including the coronation of King Charles III and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. He also officiated the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018.

Earlier, a report found that John Smyth, a British lawyer, had subjected more than 100 boys and young men to “brutal and horrific” abuse over a 40-year period.

Meanwhile, the victims are calling for more Church of England members to resign.