Abuse scandal is tip of the iceberg - campaigner

Former Synod member Jayne Ozanne has called for change in the church

A former member of the Archbishops' Council has said the Church of England's failure to act on allegations surrounding prolific child abuser John Smyth is the "tip of the iceberg".

Jayne Ozanne, a prominent LGBT campaigner from Guernsey, said the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, had to be a "watershed moment".

Mr Welby resigned on Tuesday after a damning report into abuse by Smyth at church camps.

Ms Ozanne said: "This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are many other abusers that have been covered up for the good of the church."

'Silence is deafening'

A report detailing Smyth's "horrific" beatings of teenaged boys was presented to some church leaders in 1982.

But the recipients of that report "participated in an active cover-up" to prevent its findings, including that crimes had been committed, said the Makin review.

Ms Ozanne resigned from the Church of England's General Synod in 2023 in a decision based on the church "not prioritising people at risk" and an inability to "break ranks and speak out when abuse is happening".

"There are deep issues to do with structure, accountability, not just on safeguarding, but on holding bishops and archbishops to account," she said.

"We must look afresh at how we empower and allow leaders to speak out when they disagree rather than muzzling them.

"When you just work as a pack and go silent, that silence is deafening, particularly for survivors."

'Utterly inadequate'

Anglican leaders in the Channel Islands also called for change in the church.

The Dean of Jersey, the Very Reverend Mike Keirle, said the church must listen to the voices of survivors.

"The abuse perpetrated by John Smyth makes for appalling reading and has caused untold pain and suffering to the victims and survivors," he said.

"It also clearly expounds the utterly inadequate and, at times, inexcusable response to those victims and survivors by the Church of England since the abuse came to light, and the further enabling of the perpetrator to continue the violence and exploitation in another country."

'Refocus our attention'

Dean of Guernsey, the Very Reverend Tim Barker, said Mr Welby's resignation should spark deeper change.

"The response of the Church of England towards survivors and victims, as highlighted in forensic and graphic detail by the review, has been inadequate and, in some aspects, appalling.

"We must refocus our attention on the experience and the needs of victims and survivors."