On November 12th, The Most Reverend Justin Welby resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury, citing “his long and profound shame at safeguarding failures.”
His resignation comes after intense public pressure following the Keith Makin Report, which detailed the decades-long sadistic abuse by barrister John Smyth during his work for the Church of England.
We are still waiting for the Redress Scheme announced last year, which appears to be mired in bureaucracy and lack of will.
We point out that even without the Redress Scheme, anyone who has experienced any kind of abuse in the Church of England may still be able to file a civil court claim. Whether it succeeds will depend in part on the statute of limitations, but judges can give leeway to people who have only recently realized the extent of the harm they have suffered.
If you have questions about what constitutes a claim or whether you are out of time, please know our trained specialist lawyers are waiting to hear from you, in a confidential and sensitive conversation with no obligation for further action.
Read more about the Church of England National Redress Scheme:
In February, the Church of England published further details of its National Redress Scheme. The Scheme is expected to open in Autumn 2024, with further details of how it will operate expected to be announced over the coming months.
If you are a survivor or victim, we may be able to help you bring a claim.
Update:
Since the above article was published, the Church of England has given final approval to its Redress Scheme. You can read our latest update here: Church of England Approves Redress Scheme for Survivors of Abuse.
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