The Bishop of Oxford has chosen not to comment as the Archbishop of Canterbury has announced his resignation over an abuse scandal.
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury since 2013, announced he would resign on Tuesday afternoon over a report into a barrister thought to have been the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church of England.
A petition by some members of the General Synod – the church’s parliament – had gathered more than 1,500 signatures urging the Archbishop to stand down over his “failures” to alert authorities about John Smyth QC’s “abhorrent” abuse of children and young men.
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In a statement released shortly after 2pm, the Archbishop of Canterbury said: "Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury.
"The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth. When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow.
"It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.
The Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley had earlier called for the Archbishop's resignation but the Bishop of Oxford, Rt Rev Steven Croft, chose not to comment.
A spokesperson for the Oxford Diocese said Bishop Steven "was not doing any media on the issue".
The Diocese of Oxford has issued a statement on the scandal this afternoon.
It said: "We are sorry for the pain, suffering and harm caused by the abuse which is the subject of the independent review of the John Smyth case. We know that abuse on this scale, perpetrated over 40 years, causes untold, lifelong damage.
“As a diocese we remain committed to the deep culture change, learning and transformation called for by the Review.
“If you, or anyone you are in contact with, are affected by the publication of this report and want to talk to someone independently, please call the Safe Spaces helpline on 0300 303 1056 or visit safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk
"If you, or someone you know, have experienced abuse, support is available for survivors. You can also call the Samaritans helpline on 116 123 which offers free and confidential support.
“It’s never too late to come forward, and you will be heard and supported.”
He added: "It is my duty to honour my constitutional and church responsibilities, so exact timings will be decided once a review of necessary obligations has been completed, including those in England and in the Anglican Communion.
"I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our profound commitment to creating a safer church.
"As I step down I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse. The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England.
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The Makin review into Smyth’s abuse, published last week, concluded that he might have been brought to justice had the Archbishop of Canterbury formally reported it to police a decade ago.
Mr Smyth died aged 75 in Cape Town in 2018 while under investigation by Hampshire Police, and so was “never bought to justice for the abuse”, the review said.
Across five decades in three different countries and involving as many as 130 boys and young men in the UK and Africa, Mr Smyth is said to have subjected his victims to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks, permanently marking their lives.
The Oxford Mail contacted the Diocese of Oxford for comment again after Mr Welby announced his resignation.
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