New archbishop of Canterbury pledges to rebuild trust in church's handling of abuse

"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."

"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."

"Mullally told the meeting that safeguarding was a fundamental, non-negotiable responsibility, sharpened by our past failings and shaped by the work we still have to do. She said she was committed to an approach of grave seriousness and focused direction to all matters relating to safeguarding in all contexts in the church. Victims and survivors would be at the heart of all we do."

Sarah Mullally, the new archbishop of Canterbury, pledged to rebuild trust and confidence in how the Church of England handles abuse of children and vulnerable adults, acknowledging past tragic failures. She said proper independence will be central to handling allegations and promised grave seriousness and focused direction on safeguarding across all church contexts. Mullally emphasized that victims and survivors will be at the heart of responses and called for robust, transparent processes for appointments, conduct, concerns, complaints and whistleblowing. The leadership change followed Justin Welby's resignation after a damning report about the mishandling of a high-profile abuse case.

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