Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual head of the Anglican Communion, has stepped down following an investigation that concluded he failed to report serial physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps to authorities promptly upon learning of it.

The only Church of England bishop to publicly demand the resignation of former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said Wednesday that his departure wasn't enough to solve the church’s “profound failure” in safeguarding vulnerable people or ease the trauma suffered by victims of abuse.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has announced he will step down from his role following a damning report into a prolific child abuser associated with the Church of England. The review found that Justin Welby, 68, "could and should" have reported John Smyth's abuse of boys and young men to police in 2013.

It comes after the independent Makin review into lawyer John Smyth's abuse of children and young men was published last week.

The office of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, says he will wrap up his official duties in early January amid an abuse scandal in the Church of England.

The Archbishop had faced calls to resign after a report last week found he had taken insufficient action to stop a person it described as arguably the Church of England's most prolific serial abuser.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will not participate in any public Christmas services following his resignation over claims he failed to help bring sex abuser John Smyth to justice.