Welby's Therapy: Processing Church's Abuse Scandal

0:00This is your UK News update for February 28th, brought to you by NordVPN, fast, reliable, online privacy. Links in the episode description, Justin Welby, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has revealed he's been seeing a psychotherapist and psychiatrist for quite some time to deal with. What he calls the church's major safeguarding failure, the 70-year-old stepped down from his role in November 2024, just days after an independent report exposed mishandling of abuse by John Smith, a prolific child abuser connected to the Church of England. Smith tormented more than 100 boys and young men with physical, sexual, psychological, and spiritual attacks over five decades, yet he died. Without facing justice, the report slammed senior church leaders, including Welby, for staying silent and not properly alerting police, despite knowing about the allegations. Victims and critics have expressed deep frustration over the church's response.

1:00One survivor pointed out that Welby knew Smith from holiday camps where abuse happened, but claims the scale overwhelmed him back in 2013, when reports first surfaced. In a recent podcast interview, Welby admitted he didn't prioritize some victims enough, but insisted the abuse had been reported to police. He acknowledged getting it wrong as archbishop, with no excuses, while pushing back on claims of a total cover-up. As Welby continues therapy to process these events, the scandal underscores ongoing challenges for the church, in addressing historic abuses, and rebuilding trust with survivors.