Sarah Mullally says Church of England has ‘fallen tragically short’ after predecessor resigned over significant failings
The new archbishop of Canterbury has pledged to rebuild trust and confidence in the way the Church of England deals with the abuse of children and vulnerable adults, saying that in the past it has “fallen tragically short”.
Sarah Mullally told a meeting of the C of E’s ruling body, the General Synod, that “proper independence” would be central to the way the church dealt with allegations of abuse on her watch as archbishop. The C of E has been criticised for dealing with allegations of abuse, and complaints about the handling of such allegations, internally.
Mullally, who took over as de facto leader of the church 14 months after her predecessor Justin Welby resigned over significant failings in dealing with a high-profile abuse case, was greeted by members of the synod in London on Tuesday with applause and cheers.
Welby quit after a damning report on the activities of John Smyth, a former barrister who sadistically beat boys and young men, found that Welby had failed to properly act after being told about allegations of abuse in 2013.
