DURHAM (UNITED KINGDOM)
The Times/The Sunday Times [London, England]
June 5, 2025
By Kaya Burgess
The former bishop of Durham was one of several clergy criticised in a report on the church’s failure to stop the abuser John Smyth, which led to Justin Welby’s downfall
A bishop who served as an assistant to the King during the coronation is one of seven priests facing church disciplinary charges over the scandal that led to the downfall of Justin Welby, the former Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Right Rev Paul Butler, who retired last year as Bishop of Durham, the church’s fourth most senior role, will face disciplinary proceedings alongside six other members of the clergy.
Lord Carey of Clifton, a former Archbishop of Canterbury, will not face legal action. Carey, who served as archbishop from 1991 to 2002, had been named in February among ten priests who could face disciplinary charges under the clergy discipline measure (CDM).
They all faced some degree of criticism within a damning report by the social worker Keith Makin into the Church of England’s failure to stop John Smyth, a Christian barrister, from abusing boys over several decades.
The criticisms made of Welby in the report, including that he should have been more active in checking that the police were investigating the allegations, led to him announcing his resignation as Archbishop of Canterbury last November, and stepping down in January this year.
The Church of England has now confirmed that seven of the ten priests will face disciplinary proceedings under the church’s Clergy Discipline Measure. These include the Rev Andrew Cornes, a General Synod member who had previously been a candidate to sit on the committee that will choose the next archbishop of Canterbury.
The complaints against them were technically “out of time”, but an independent judge has assessed each and said that seven can go ahead.
Carey, however, is among three priests who will face no further action. The Makin report alleged that Carey was sent a memo about Smyth’s abuses while he was principal of Trinity Theological College in the early 1980s, but said that Carey “denies seeing it”. He has maintained his denial of ever seeing such a memo.
Carey has already relinquished his permission to serve as a priest during his retirement. He cited his age, but has faced multiple criticisms over his handling of abuse allegations in the past.
He said on Thursday morning: “After what has been a gruelling and punishing process, brought upon me by the CofE for myself and my family, after 63 years of ministry, I welcome the decision of the president of tribunals in standing up for principles of integrity rather than expediency. I am absolutely certain that I received no information in 1983-4 which could have alerted me to John Smyth’s terrible crimes against young men and boys. The president’s verdict is a welcome piece of news after the flawed Makin report.”
In 2015 Butler was president of the Scripture Union, and the Rev Tim Hastie-Smith, who is also facing a disciplinary charge, was director. The union had employed some staff at the camps where Smyth worked in the 1970s and 1980s.
Butler, who was also the church’s lead bishop for safeguarding, and Hastie-Smith discussed Smyth in 2015 after allegations had come to light. However, Butler said that he was “not provided with any detailed information about the abuse”. The report said they could have shared correspondence they received about Smyth more widely.
The other priests who will now face charges include the Rev Roger Combes, the retired Archdeacon of Horsham, who was one of a small group who was given an explosive report about Smyth’s abuse in 1982 but said that he did not know the seriousness of the allegations until much later.
The Rev Sue Colman is alleged to have been aware of allegations against Smyth before she was ordained, but has said she “did not know the full details”.
The Rev Nick Stott was allegedly advised not to join Smyth in Zimbabwe but still went, allegedly witnessing “surprising” behaviour at his camps. He was reportedly told of “an issue” with Smyth but said he “was not told any details”.
The Rev John Woolmer led the Christian Forum at Winchester College, where he was a teacher. He was allegedly told by a student in 1981 or 1982 that they were worried about something “very serious which involved abuse”. The report found that he “did not pursue this and has reported that he has regretted that since”.
Carey, the Rev Paul Perkin and the Rev Hugh Palmer will face no further action.
If the disciplinary proceedings rule against them, those facing charges could face punishments ranging from a rebuke to a life prohibition from ministry. The church is reintroducing the power to “defrock” a priest, but this change will not be in force in time to apply to them.
A church spokeswoman said: “Victims and survivors and all those criticised in the Makin review have been informed and support offered. The national safeguarding team will make no further comment on these cases whilst the CDM proceedings are under way.”