Stephen Conway, the former Bishop of Ely, has issued an apology after a damning report found he was aware of sadistic abuse committed by John Smyth, a lay preacher in the Anglican Church.
The Right Rev Conway, who now serves as the Bishop of Lincoln, was named in the recently published Makin Report as an individual who knew about the ongoing abuse.
The Makin Report, produced by ex-social services chief, Keith Makin, looks into the Church of England's handling of the John Smyth sex abuse case.
The Makin Report found that Right Rev Conway's then-diocese, the Diocese of Ely, was informed by a victim of Smyth in 2013 about the allegations.
The report found that Stephen Conway was in a "potentially powerful position" to ensure that the relevant authorities in the UK and South Africa, where John Smyth fled, knew about the full extent of the allegations.
It reads: "We have demonstrated that this was far from the case, with serious abuse and crimes being covered up at the time.
"This complacency continues with comments from the Bishop of Ely and a lack of serious attention from Lambeth Palace (the residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury) and various police forces."
John Smyth, who died in 2018, was a barrister and lay preacher. The Makin Report describes his behaviour as a "clearly sexually motivated, sadistic regime".
In the 1970s and 80s, he would single out Christian boys attending religious camps and schools, take them home and beat them with a cane.
Some of his victims had to wear adult nappies because of the bleeding they suffered at the hands of John Smyth.
He later fled to South Africa, where it is alleged he continued to carry out abuse.
In a statement, Stephen Conway said that as soon as he became embroiled in the Smyth case, his priority was, "to provide support for those victims and survivors in connection with the Diocese of Ely."
He added: "I made a detailed disclosure to Lambeth Palace and contacted the relevant diocese in South Africa to alert them to the issue.
"I am clear that I did all within my authority as a Bishop of the Church of England, bearing in mind that I had no authority over an entirely independent province on another continent.
"I acknowledge fully that my fault was in not rigorously pursuing Lambeth about that province-to-province communication, and for this I am deeply sorry."
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Ely, Stephen Conway's former congregation, said: "Our only proper response can be a renewed and ever more determined commitment to safeguarding, to the implementation of new recommendations, to our support of our Parish Safeguarding Officers and to our Diocesan Safeguarding Team."
Justin Welby, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has resigned following the publication of the Makin Review.
Speaking to BBC News , a victim of John Smyth said of Stephen Conway: "He was the person in a position to stop John Smyth, bring him to justice, and he fundamentally failed.
"I don't care about his prayers, I want his resignation."
Anybody affected by the publication of the Makin Report can find support here.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel