A DOZEN people within the Church of England (CofE) are undergoing a disciplinary process related to serial abuser John Smyth, former archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said today.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Welby expressed a “deep sense of personal failure” over the handling of allegations against Mr Smyth, but also forgives the most prolific abuser associated with the church.

Asked how many people in the CofE had known about the abuse, the former primate said: “What I know is that the national safeguarding team about three weeks ago issued a statement, which you probably saw, which said that there were […] roughly a dozen being taken [through] the disciplinary process.