Church of England

He also said he believed "that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England".

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the head of the Church of England and leads 85 million Anglicans in 165 countries around the world.

John Smyth’s death in 2018 meant an "appalling abuser" associated with the Church of England escaped justice for crimes stretching back decades.

It was the description chosen by the independent review commissioned by the Church of England to investigate how Smyth was able to groom and abuse children at Christian camps and in schools for so long.

He commended the Church of England’s recent Makin report, saying it "left no stone unturned".