Religion
Pressure mounts on Anglican leader to resign over abuse scandal
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By Francesca Hangeior.
The leader of the global Anglican Communion, Justin Welby, faced mounting pressure on Monday to resign following a damning report which concluded that the Church of England had covered up a serial abuse case.
Three members of the General Synod, the Church’s national assembly, have initiated a petition demanding that Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, step down in light of the revelations.
The report found that the Church had repeatedly failed to act over the “abhorrent” abuse committed by John Smyth, a lawyer who organised evangelical summer camps in the 1970s and 1980s.
Smyth is believed to have assaulted as many as 130 boys and young men, beginning at his home in southern England after grooming them at the camps.
Dozens more are thought to have been abused in African countries, after Smyth relocated to Zimbabwe in 1984 and then to South Africa in 2001, according to the report.
The extent of the abuse makes him the most prolific known serial abuser associated with the Church.
The findings of the long-awaited independent review concluded that Welby “could and should” have formally reported the abuse to the authorities in 2013.
Smyth died in South Africa in 2018 at age 75, while under investigation by British police, and he never faced any criminal charges.
Welby, the Church of England’s highest-ranking cleric, said last week that he was “deeply sorry that this abuse happened” and that he “had no idea or suspicion of this abuse before 2013,” when he became archbishop.
He told Britain’s Channel 4 News that he had considered resigning but ultimately decided against it.
“If I’d known before 2013 or had grounds for suspicion, that would be a resigning matter then and now. But I didn’t,” he told the broadcaster.
However, the petition by three members of the General Synod — which comprises 483 lay members and clergy — urges Welby to step down.
The petition argues that Welby “held a personal and moral responsibility to pursue this further… which he failed to fulfil.”
Given his role in allowing abuse to continue, we believe that his remaining as the Archbishop of Canterbury is no longer tenable,” it adds.
By Monday morning, the petition had garnered nearly 2,000 signatures, while a growing number of priests were speaking out against him.
The vicar of St Anne’s Church in southwest London, Giles Fraser, told BBC Radio on Monday that it was “a terrible situation.”
“I’m afraid he’s lost the confidence of his clergy. He’s lost the confidence of many of his bishops, and his position is completely untenable,” he said.
In another BBC interview on Sunday, Bishop of Stepney Joanne Grenfell declined to support Welby’s continuation in his role.
“I really appreciate that the archbishop has wholeheartedly apologised for what he could have and should have done differently in 2013,” she said, adding, “I think there’s still an awful lot to do.”
Operatives of Rivers State Police Command have rescued a kidnap victim from his armed abductors.
According to report, the victim was rescued minutes after he was kidnapped in Oyigbo area of the state, following the swift intervention of the police.
Report further revealed that police operatives, on getting a distress call, had chased the abductors, resulting in a gun duel, and that the criminals had abandoned the target and fled, following the superior firepower of the police.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the incident happened on Sunday.
Iringe-Koko in the statement, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, said police rescued the victim who was abandoned in the vehicle, recovered the operational car used by the kidnappers and one gun.
She said: “On November 17, 2024, about 2023hrs, operatives of the Command received a distress call from the Command’s Control Room indicating that a gang of armed men numbering about four operating in a Black colour Toyota Corolla car shot sporadically and kidnapped one Madabuchi Julius ‘m’ at Sabbath Filling Station, Oyigbo.
“Operatives were swiftly mobilised to the scene and the hoodlums on sighting the Police operatives drove off, but they were given a hot chase by the operatives and subsequently intercepted along Egbu Street, Oyigbo and and a gun duel…….ensued between the Police operatives and the hoodlums.
“The hoodlums could not withstand the Police superior fire power and eventually abandoned the victim and their operational vehicle with registration number RIVERS PHC 938 AH and escaped. The victim was rescued unhurt and the vehicle recovered.
“Investigation is ongoing while concerted efforts are intensified to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang and recover their operational weapons.”
Iringe-Koko noted the police in another development arrested some suspected criminals and recovered some items.
Bandits have reportedly abducted about four farmers in the Libere community of Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Aminu Khalid, the Dokan Karji youth leader, disclosed this to DAILY POST on Thursday in a telephone interview.
He said the farmers were kidnapped at about 12 o’clock while harvesting their crops.
Khalid lamented that the incident has caused panic in Libere and surrounding communities, with residents deserting their villages.
“These bandits have continued to occupy more villages in our local government area unchallenged and causing a lot havoc to the various communities,” he said.
The youth leader had earlier reported that Libere was among the 14 villages over-run by bandits during a recent attack. He had also called for military intervention to restore normalcy in the area.
He identified some of those abducted as Pheobe Adauji, Cecilia Moses, Tambaya and his wife.
The Enugu State Police Command has arrested two suspects, Ikechukwu Okoye (male, aged 33) and Juliet Ogbodo (female, aged 39), both of Onuorie-Obuno in Akpugo Community, Nkanu West Local Government Area over the alleged kidnap and murder of a 70-year-old woman.
The suspects were alleged to have kidnapped, murdered and buried Mrs. Mary Nwatu, a 70-year-old woman, in a shallow grave in September 2024.
In a statement made available on Thursday by DSP Daniel Ndukwe, Police Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Command, he said the suspects were arrested by the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad.
According to Ndukwe, “Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was reported missing on September 15, 2024, after all efforts to locate her proved unsuccessful.
“On October 5, 2024, Ikechukwu Okoye, identified as the principal suspect and a kinsman of the victim, began contacting her children, demanding a ransom of six million Naira (N6,000,000.00).
“Upon his arrest, which followed credible intelligence reports, Okoye confessed to kidnapping Mrs. Nwatu on September 14, 2024, around 8:00 a.m.
“He stated that the victim came to their house to look for his mother when he kidnapped, murdered, and buried her in a shallow grave inside an uncompleted building in the compound.”
He added that “Ikechukwu Okoye also confessed to demanding a ransom from the victim’s children, initially asking for six million Naira (N6,000,000.00), which was later negotiated to three million Naira (N3,000,000.00).
“He eventually received payment of twenty thousand Naira (N20,000.00), which was for him to allow the children to hear their mother’s voice via the phone before further payments.
“On her part, Juliet Ogbodo, who is Okoye’s intimate girlfriend, confessed to being aware of the crime but failed to report it to the police or any other relevant authorities.
“The victim’s remains have been exhumed and deposited at a mortuary for preservation and autopsy. The suspects, along with any other individuals found complicit in this heinous crime, will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.”
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