The Archbishop of Canterbury has described a charity dinner where women were groped and sexually abused as 'sickening and horrendous sexual harassment'.
The male-only Presidents Club black-tie dinner is at the centre of outrage after an undercover investigation exposed how the 360 guests were entertained by 130 'hostesses' in short dresses and high heels.
Many of the all-female waitress crew were harassed at the raucous event, described as 'the most un-PC event of the year', last Thursday at The Dorchester Hotel, London.
Education minister Nadhim Zahawi is facing calls to resign after the expose by the Financial Times revealed he was among the guests. One of the event organisers, David Meller, has quit his role as director of Department for Education and the evening's host, comedian David Walliams, said he did not witness any abuse but is 'absolutely appalled by the reports'.
Justin Welby lambasted the behaviour described as 'disgusting' and 'horrible' and said it was down to 'sin'.
'It is about people who are exercising power, in this case over women, and exercising it brutally and selfishly. It is about the absence of the Kingdom of God.'
Welby was speaking at the launch of a prayer and evangelism initiative aimed at uniting churches all around the world. Thy Kingdom Come was launched in 2016 and last year spread to more than 85 countries with hundreds of thousands taking part. Attracting support from more than 50 denominations including the Catholic and Methodist Church, Welby is urging Christians around the globe to pray for 10 days in the build up to the festival of Pentecost in May.
He told clergy and ministers from dozens of Christian denominations gathered in Lambeth Palace on Wednesday that the Financial Times is his favourite newspaper because it 'almost never talks about me'.
'Our first reaction [when reading the story] is quite rightly to be appalled and say that is horrible and terrible,' he said. 'Our second reaction must be to say what is needed in the witness of Jesus Christ in that place.'
One of the recipients of the charity dinner, which has raised more than £20million over the past 35 years, is Great Ormond's Street children's hospital which has pledged to return all the donations from the President's Club.
A spokeswoman for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity said: 'We are shocked to hear of the behaviour reported at the Presidents Club Charitable Trust fundraising dinner.
'We would never knowingly accept donations raised in this way. Due to the wholly unacceptable nature of the event we are returning previous donations and will no longer accept gifts from the Presidents Club Charitable Trust.'
Financial Times reporter Madison Marriage, who went undercover at the event, told BBC2's Newsnight: 'I was groped several times and I know that there are numerous other hostesses who said the same thing had happened to them.
'It's hands up skirts, hands on bums but also hands on hips, hands on stomachs, arms going round your waist unexpectedly.
'The worst I was told by one of the hostesses was a man taking his penis out during the course of the dinner.'
The Charity Commission said it was looking into the allegations 'as a matter of urgency'.
