The Children’s Society charity will not accept a Christmas donation from the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Most Rev Justin Welby and his wife Caroline said this week that they had chosen to donate to the charity, which they noted “works with children affected by criminal and sexual exploitation, abuse” and other issues.
In a statement on Friday, Mark Russell, the chief executive of the charity, said: “After careful consideration, we have respectfully decided not to accept the donation offered by the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury.
“The Children’s Society is deeply committed to supporting the survivors of abuse, our teams support victims of child sexual abuse, and this means that accepting this donation would not be consistent with the principles and values that underpin our work.
“We were profoundly shocked by the findings of the Makin Report, and our thoughts are with all survivors of abuse. We believe that there is an urgent need for the Church of England to reset its approach to safeguarding and continue to create a safer church and safer spaces for young people, protected by real accountability and a culture of care.”
The Archbishop announced his resignation last month after an independent review found that he had a “personal and moral responsibility” to do more to stop the Church’s most prolific serial abuser, John Smyth.
The Makin review said that Smyth subjected his victims to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks, permanently marking their lives.
Smyth died aged 77 in Cape Town in 2018 while under investigation by Hampshire Police, and was “never brought to justice for the abuse”, the Makin report added.
A Lambeth Palace spokesman said: “Lambeth Palace respects the decision made by The Children’s Society.
“The Archbishop of Canterbury shares the principles and values of The Children’s Society and is committed to supporting the survivors of abuse and victims of child sexual abuse.
“He applauds The Children’s Society for their tireless work in this field.”
More follows