LONDON (AP) – Justin Welby, head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, has resigned after an investigation found he failed to inform police about serial physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps. He soon realized this.

The pressure on the Archbishop of Canterbury following the release of the finding was fueling anger at the highest levels of the church over a lack of accountability. Some members of the General Synod, the church’s national assembly, launched a petition calling for Welby to resign, saying he had “lost the trust of the clergy”.

“I believe it is in the interests of the Church of England, which I love and have the honor to serve, to step aside,” he said in a statement.