The archbishop “regrets his handling of the sexual abuse complaint against a pedophile pastor.”

Justin Welby was the Dean of Liverpool when he learned about the pedophile minister’s past

The Archbishop of Canterbury has said he would have treated the sexual abuse case “differently” if he had known the full extent of it. Justin Welby allowed convicted pedophile John Roberts, formerly of Cherry Vale, Wooltonto continue working at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral, despite claims he was aware of the 89-year-old’s ill past.

Canon Roberts “he used God to hide the monster he is.” because he abused the power and authority of his position to commit acts of sexual abuse while serving at St. Peter’s in Woolton in the 1970s. In 1989 he was fined £500 for indecently assaulting a boy. As it turned out, this judgment was known to the Liverpool diocese.

Instead of being stripped of his position for 1989, Roberts, a married father of three, was able to return to work and he was eventually promoted to the position of Canon. You can read the full extent of Roberts’ crimes Here.

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The vicar was later sentenced in December 2020 to prison for sexual offenses against three other people, one of whom reportedly told Welby about what happened in the 2010s, and was further convicted in 2024 of sexual offenses against another child, reducing the prison sentence to a total of nine years. The later conviction relates to the sexual abuse of a boy aged 10 to 13 in the 1970s.

Welby, then Dean of Liverpool, dismissed the claims of one of Roberts’ victims in 2011 as he believed they were “one person’s words against another’s” and reportedly fired him from the city’s cathedral for “insulting and threatening” a member of staff.

Instead of informing police, Welby urged Roberts to “avoid meeting people at home alone” and said he needed to be “extra careful because of his history.”

Lambeth Palace, the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, he told the ECHO: “The attacks carried out by John Roberts were an appalling breach of trust and harmed the lives of his victims and survivors. The Church must always show responsibility and draw conclusions from its actions in such cases.

“The Archbishop publicly apologized to survivors of abuse during the church’s IICSA hearing – and repeated that apology during the John Roberts trial. Looking back at the cathedral’s procedure at the time, he regrets that he dealt with a specific complaint when he was dean of Liverpool.

“As he explained during the IICSA hearing, the complainant had threatened several members of staff at the department, which influenced his judgment and conduct. He apologized for his response and stated publicly that if he had known the full details of John Roberts’ 1989 conviction, he would have acted differently. He did not hide information at any stage.

“Following the conviction of John Roberts in December 2020, the National Safeguarding Panel, in line with guidance from the House of Bishops, investigated Justin Welby’s actions in this case while he was Dean of Liverpool.

“After considering all relevant information, it is considered that the matter under investigation, including the actions of Justin Welby, has been referred to the appropriate authorities and therefore no further action is deemed necessary.

“Justin Welby has cooperated fully with the National Safeguarding Team throughout this process, as well as the police investigation. The Diocese of Liverpool also carried out a review of the applications in the John Roberts case.”

During Roberts’ trial, Welby claimed he reported the initial allegations to a security adviser. However, he said he did not recommend disciplinary action and believed it was “one person’s word against another.”

Diocese of Liverpool Also confirmed by ECHO that the matter occurred before many of the department’s current staff were seconded to the department and therefore could not comment directly. But the spokesman added: “We have worked hard, and continue to work hard, to improve safety at Liverpool Cathedral and churches across the diocese. If anyone is affected by this situation, we urge them to report any concerns, which will be thoroughly investigated.”

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The Roberts incident has returned to the public eye in recent weeks after Welby announced he would be stepping down from his position after a review found the 68-year-old “could and should” have reported another child abuser, John Smyth.

The independent Makin Review said barrister John Smyth could have been prosecuted if the archbishop had formally notified authorities in 2013. It said Welby had failed to take sufficiently stringent action following reports of “appalling” abuse by Smyth over over 100 boys and young men. .

Despite the publication of the review on Thursday, November 7, the archbishop was still allowed to preach at Liverpool Cathedral a few days later for the Remembrance Sunday service.