Archbishop ‘ashamed’ over abuse

The Archbishop of Canterbury has emotionally told an inquiry how “ashamed” he is of the Church in the wake of the child sex abuse inquiry.

The Most Rev Justin Welby told the hearing that the last three weeks of evidence relating to child sexual abuse in the Church has horrified him.

Asked what he had learned from the hearings, Mr Welby paused and appeared to be fighting tears as he said: “I have learned to be ashamed again, in the past three weeks.”

He told the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse that while the perpetrators may be forgiven, they could never be trusted again.

Fiona Scolding QC, the lead lawyer for the Anglican strand of the inquiry, asked the Archbishop how the Church is addressing the issue of safeguarding.

He said he had implemented training, adding there was also a need for a culture change.