The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has resigned following criticism of his failure to prevent child abuse.
Mr Welby has resigned after the independent Makin Review concluded that barrister John Smyth, who is thought to have been the most prolific abuser associated with the church, might have been brought to justice had the archbishop formally alerted authorities in 2013.In a statement today Mr Welby said: "Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury.
"Sir Keir Starmer earlier refused to comment directly on Mr Welby's position, saying it was a "matter, in the end, for the church", but he made clear that Smyth's victims had been let down.The Prime Minister said: "Let me be clear: of what I know of the allegations, they are clearly horrific in relation to this particular case, both in their scale and their content.
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