A former leader of the Church of England, George Carey, is facing potential disciplinary actions for his handling of sexual abuse allegations within the church. Carey served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 to 2002 and resigned from his priestly duties in December after reports surfaced revealing that he permitted a priest, David Tudor, to return to ministry despite prior sexual abuse allegations against him in the 1990s.
According to the church’s national safeguarding team, disciplinary proceedings are being considered against Carey and nine other clergy members linked to an unrelated abuse case. An independent report published last November highlighted significant failures within the church regarding the notorious case of John Smyth, a volunteer known for his abusive behavior at Christian summer camps, which went unaddressed for many years.
The report alleged that Carey was informed of serious physical and sexual abuse committed by Smyth and had received a prior report detailing these issues. Despite this, Carey claimed he did not see the document. Additionally, Justin Welby, the former Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the global Anglican Communion, has been criticized for not alerting law enforcement about the allegations against Smyth. Welby stepped down from his position last year amid growing scrutiny.
Smyth passed away in 2018 in South Africa while under police investigation for his actions, which allegedly targeted over 100 young boys and men over decades. Alexander Kubeyinje, the national director of safeguarding for the Church of England, expressed deep regret for the suffering endured by the victims and emphasized the church’s commitment to addressing the findings from the review to ensure accountability moving forward.
