Episcopal Supreme Clergy Resigns..."Covering Up Large-Scale Child Sexual Abuse"

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby announces resignation
Five days after the British Episcopal Church's investigation report, the company's
cover-up of massive sexual abuse by minors...After the publication of the
report, the pressure on the resignation of the Archbishop of Success Society increases.

[Anchor]
The recent report that the Anglican Church covered up a large-scale case of underage sexual abuse has caused a stir.

The Episcopal Church's highest priest, who leads 85 million believers in the world, eventually offered his thanks.

Reporter Hwang Bo-sun reports.

[Reporter]
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby made a surprise statement.

"I believe it is in the best interests of the Church of Nations to resign. We share the sorrow of all victims and survivors of abuse."

Archbishop Welby's resignation came five days after the independent investigation report of the Anglican Church.The

report concluded that "the Anglican Church covered up decades of underage sexual abuse and Archbishop Welby failed to respond properly."

The high-ranking church members, including Archbishop Welby and the bishop of the diocese, could and should have officially reported to the police, but they didn't.

[David Thompson / Professor of Theology, University of Cambridge] The Archbishop did not report the John Smith case to the police even after he was aware of it in 2013.When the

report was published, synod delegates and bishops, who are parliaments of the Anglican Church, demanded the resignation of Archbishop Welby.

Victims of the incident also urged the media to resign, and more than 13,000 people signed a request for resignation.

[Andrew Moss / Victim of sexual abuse] At that time (in college) I thought I'd rather die than get hit more.John Smith, a lawyer identified as the perpetrator of

, has been suspected of sexually, physically and emotionally abusing more than 100 people, including boys, in Britain and Africa since the 1970s, but

It was only after suspicions were raised through broadcasting in 2017 that he was the subject of investigation and died in 2018 to avoid justice.

This is YTN Hwang Bo-seon.


Video editing: Kim Min-kyung