A Further Statement From The Bishop Of Lincoln Regarding The Makin Report (12/11/24)

A further Statement from the Rt Revd Stephen Conway, the Bishop of Lincoln:

I welcome the publication of the Makin Review which presents a thorough and detailed account of the failings of individuals and institutions, which have had a huge impact on John Smyth’s victims.

As soon as I became involved, my priority was to provide support for those victims and survivors in connection with the Diocese of Ely.

As part of my submission to the Review, I confirmed that during my tenure as the Bishop of Ely, I received a disclosure about John Smyth.

Once it became clear that there was an international dimension which directly affected another province of the Anglican Communion, I made a detailed disclosure to Lambeth Palace and contacted the relevant diocese in South Africa to alert them to the issue.

It was my understanding that this matter was reported to the Police in Cambridgeshire and duly passed on to the Police in Hampshire where the abuse had occurred.

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.

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