The archbishop of Canterbury has been urged to stand in solidarity with abuse victims by resigning after a report into a cover-up in the Church of England.
A petition started by three members of the General Synod – the church’s parliament – calling for Justin Welby to quit has reached more than 10,000 signatures.
An independent review published last week concluded John Smyth may have been brought to justice had Welby formally reported the abuse to police a decade ago.
Andrew Morse, a victim of Smyth’s whom he first met while a pupil at Winchester college, Hampshire, described him as a predator.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Welby’s admission that he had not done enough since 2013 “is enough in my mind to confirm that Justin Welby along with countless other Anglican church members were part of a cover-up about the abuse”.
He added: “I think he should resign; I think the church is incredibly stringent with its rules for everyday vicars and those lower down the scale about what to do when abuse is reported to you.
“The archbishop has himself admitted that he failed in 2013 and I think for that reason, although on a personal level I know how difficult it is not to hold on to secrets and particularly secrets in which you yourself come out maybe with a degree of shame, I believe that now is an opportunity for him to resign.
“I say opportunity in the sense that this would be an opportunity for him to stand with the victims of the Smyth abuse and all victims that have not been treated properly by the Church of England in their own abuse cases.”
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.
Pressure has been mounting on Welby to stand down including from Helen-Ann Hartley, the bishop of Newcastle, who on Monday said his position was untenable.
This was followed on Tuesday by similar calls from the dean of chapel at King’s College, Cambridge.
Stephen Cherry, who is also a former canon of Durham Cathedral, told the Today programme: “I think he really needs to now tender his resignation and allow there to be significant change.
“There are circumstances in which something happens whereby a person in a position of prominent leadership essentially loses the trust and the confidence and the capacity to do that really wonderful thing that someone like an archbishop does, which is represent everyone at a certain moment, publicly.
“And the pain in the victim community and the history of not listening to people and not responding to people who are profoundly hurt by those in positions of power means that this is no longer a person who can carry the representative role of that office.
“That’s my strongest thought today.”
In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800; adult survivors can seek help at Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International
