The following text has been added to the John Smyth Review page of the Church of England website.
Further update on timing of publication
To ensure the review is as comprehensive as possible and that the large volume of information submitted can be fully studied, it is now likely that the completion of the report will be mid-summer 2021 at the earliest. Following that, there will be a need to ensure that the report is legally sound and that people who may be directly referenced will have had the opportunity to comment on those references.
“It still remains possible that the damage caused by these institutional failures has been so severe that the trust and respect for the Church held by society at large has been lost forever”
Stephen Parsons – Foreword – ‘Sex, Power, Control – Responding to Abuse in the Institutional Church’ [Lutterworth 2021]
It is almost as if they don’t want this review to come out publicly at all!
… or maybe not until after ABC has resigned, retired, or, as they say these days using a lily-livered euphemism, stepped down.
I posted the following on TA on 28 April 2020 when Keith Makin said he needed more time to complete the review: “The good news is that it seems Makin is faced with vastly more material than he imagined, from victims and survivors, and others with knowledge. This report will analyse and dismantle the abusive culture. It will also ask searching questions about why so many people who knew about Smyth did absolutely nothing, except heave a sigh of relief that he had left the country.” I have previously disclosed on TA that I declare an interest as a former… Read more »
I hope the consequences are seismic and not the usual ‘lessons will be learned’. Whenever in the summer it is published, that will be during The Sabbatical, so the Dear Leader has a good reason not to be available for comment.
Once again the survivors who are most closely concerned are not informed of the delay until after the public announcement has been made. This isn’t good enough. How often do we have to plead for the interests – and feelings – of survivors and victims to be considered?
The ‘further update on timing of publication’ has clearly been added to be consistent with the following answer published yesterday to a question (Q.22) by General Synod member Kat Alldread asking for “the current projected date for the publication of the Makin review into the abuse committed by John Smyth?” The Bishop of Huddersfield (Dr Jonathan Gibbs) replied on behalf of the Chair of the House of Bishops: “The Makin review into John Smyth has received a considerable amount of new information, both written and verbal, which has all required careful examination and analysis. New sources of information continue to… Read more »