Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has resigned following a critical report that revealed the Church of England had been aware for years of the actions of John Smyth QC, a serial child abuser who assaulted over 100 boys and young men. In his resignation statement, Welby said he accepts "personal and institutional responsibility" for the extended period from 2013 to 2024 during which the abuse was known but not sufficiently addressed. The review accused him of failing to report the abuse when informed in 2013 and noted he "could and should" have escalated the case to authorities.

Smyth, described as the Church of England’s most prolific serial abuser, victimized up to 130 boys over nearly five decades and across three countries. He targeted participants of Christian summer camps, abusing 26 to 30 boys in the UK during the 1970s and 1980s, and later abusing 85 to 100 boys aged 13 to 17 in Africa. The report stated that since July 2013, the Church had been aware of Smyth's crimes at its highest levels and should have properly reported him to UK and South African authorities. Sophie Raworth presented the BBC News at Ten, featuring reports by Aleem Maqbool and Mark Easton.

Disclaimer: This Video is taken from BBC News.