The Church of England announced on Tuesday that it will pursue disciplinary action against 10 clerics, including the former Archbishop of Canterbury, following recommendations from a damning abuse report last year.
Central to 85 million Anglicans worldwide, the CoE has faced a crisis regarding safeguarding vulnerable individuals since the November report. The report highlighted that the former leader had failed to adequately intervene to stop one of the church's most prolific serial abusers. Consequently, Welby resigned that same month.
At their February meeting, the CoE's governing body supported implementing a fully independent safeguarding model to handle abuse cases, a decision that drew criticism from victims.
The report revealed that British lawyer John Smyth, who volunteered at Christian summer camps, had subjected over 100 boys and young men to "brutal and horrific" physical and sexual abuse for decades until his death in 2018.
The latest list of individuals potentially facing disciplinary action includes Carey, a former bishop, and eight priests, for perceived failures in preventing the abuses.
Although Welby served as the CoE leader from 2013 until recently, he is not under investigation for disciplinary procedures.
The CoE emphasized that the ongoing disciplinary process could lead to various penalties, from a permanent ministry ban to resignation by consent.
Acknowledging the survivors and victims as the primary concern, the CoE, the mother church of the third-largest Christian denomination globally, underlined its commitment to addressing the review findings and implementing the report's recommendations.
Two priests criticized in the Smyth report await further review, pending other ongoing processes.