Archbishop of Canterbury resigns over church abuse scandal

Justin Welby’s resignation as the Archbishop of Canterbury came after days of mounting pressure following a damning report into the cover-up of horrific abuse.

Less than a week ago, an independent review – set up after an investigation by this programme – concluded that John Smyth – the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the church – might have been brought to justice had the Archbishop formally reported him to police in 2013.

Mr Welby had apologised for his failures regarding the John Smyth case – which saw as many as 130 boys and young men abused over sting five decades – but he declined to resign when we spoke to him last week. However, all that changed today.