UNITED KINGDOM
Independent
Samuel Osborne @SamuelOsborne93
The Archbishop of Canterbury has said the Church of England “failed terribly” for not reporting the head of a Christian charity accused of carrying out sadomasochistic attacks on young boys at summer camps.
Justin Welby issued an “unreserved and unequivocal” apology on behalf of the church after admitting he had worked at the holiday camps where the teenage boys were groomed.
Channel 4 News will broadcast allegations John Smyth QC used the camps to groom teenagers, who he forced to strip naked before beating them.
One alleged victim told the broadcaster he and other boys were beaten so violently they had to wear nappies to stop the bleeding.
“We recognise that many institutions fail catastrophically, but the Church is meant to hold itself to a far, far higher standard and we have failed terribly,” the statement on behalf of the Archbishop said.
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