The Archbishop of Canterbury's resignation following an abuse scandal was the "right decision", according to the Bishop of Oxford.

A report was published last week on the Church of England’s failure to act after John Smyth’s abuse in the UK in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and later in Zimbabwe and South Africa. About 130 boys are believed to have been victims.

The independent review into the abuse concluded Smyth might have been brought to justice had Archbishop Justin Welby formally reported it to police a decade ago.

READ MORE: Protected cycle lane is now a step closer 

“It does seem to me it (Mr Welby’s resignation) is the right decision given the full scope of what was released last week," Rt Rev Steven Croft told the BBC.

In a statement issued to the Oxford Mail, Rt Rev Croft said it had been an extremely difficult week following the publication of the Makin review.

"Many of us will have been deeply moved and angered by the horrific abuse described in such terrible detail and by the systemic failures of the Church of England in safeguarding set out so clearly and over many years," he said.

Bishop of Oxford Rt Rev Steven Croft Bishop of Oxford Rt Rev Steven Croft (Image: Oxford Mail)
"Our prayers and thoughts should focus first on the survivors and victims of John Smyth and all others affected by his abuse who have suffered so much and for so long."

The Bishop added: "The report is a stark reminder to all of us in our ministries to give the very highest priority to the safeguarding of all, to the culture of our churches, to training policies and procedures, to mandatory reporting and for rigorous and independent scrutiny in the future.

"The Makin review makes for very difficult and demanding reading – nevertheless I hope that all of our clergy and lay leaders will engage with its message and recommendations."

Rt Rev Croft said despite the positive outcome from a recent independent safeguarding audit, "we are not complacent and know we have still further to travel to become a safer church".

He said: "Every one of us will need to continually review our practice. I remain thankful for so many parish safeguarding officers and our Diocesan safeguarding team, supporting you all. 
 
"As you will know, Archbishop Justin resigned yesterday following the publication and reception of the review.

READ MORE: Pub closed as owner seeks new tenants

"There will be time and space later, I hope, to pay tribute to Justin’s gifts and dedication in his demanding ministry as Archbishop of Canterbury. We are asked to pray today for our Archbishop and for his family.
 
"But our focus in these coming days is and should be on the survivors of abuse, those who have found the courage to speak out and the many whose pain remains hidden. There are helplines and resources for those who need support on our website."

Help support trusted local news 

Sign up for a digital subscription now: oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe 

As a digital subscriber you will get:           

  • Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website        
  • Advert-light access           
  • Reader rewards           
  • Full access to our app 

About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.