Children's charity rejects Christmas donation from Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby

20 December 2024, 17:42 | Updated: 20 December 2024, 18:52

A children's charity has rejected a Christmas donation from outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

The Children's Society said it had "respectfully decided" not to accept the donation, saying that doing so would not be consistent with its work in supporting victims of child sexual abuse.

Mr Welby - who will officially quit in early January over failures in handling a Church of England abuse scandal - made the offer in an annual e-card for the festive season.

A spokesperson for Mr Welby said the archbishop "respects the decision".

Mark Russell, the charity's chief executive, said: "After careful consideration, we have respectfully decided not to accept the donation offered by the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury.

"The Children's Society is deeply committed to supporting the survivors of abuse, our teams support victims of child sexual abuse, and this means that accepting this donation would not be consistent with the principles and values that underpin our work."

Mr Welby announced last month he was resigning from his role in the wake of the Makin Review into the handling of allegations against serial abuser John Smyth.

Across five decades in three different countries, involving as many as 130 boys and young men in the UK and Africa, Smyth is said to have subjected his victims to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological, and spiritual attacks, permanently marking their lives.

The report found Smyth, who died in 2018, could have been brought to justice if Mr Welby had reported him to the police in 2013.

Mr Welby initially refused to resign, but announced he was stepping down following days of pressure in the wake of the publication of the independent review.

Read more:
Why did Justin Welby resign?
Who was John Smyth?

A spokesperson for the archbishop said: "Lambeth Palace respects the decision made by The Children's Society.

"The Archbishop of Canterbury shares the principles and values of The Children's Society and is committed to supporting the survivors of abuse and victims of child sexual abuse.

"He applauds The Children's Society for their tireless work in this field."

(c) Sky News 2024: Children's charity rejects Christmas donation from Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby