Scouting Ireland Abuse Report

The Historical Sexual Abuse in Scouting: A Learning Review by Ian Elliott (March 2020) provided for an analysis of the historic sexual abuse matters within the Scout Association and then explored lessons that could be learned to help prevent future incidents. The report sheds light on past failures in safeguarding, policies, procedures and cultural issues.

Mr. Elliott is an independent safeguarding consultant.

Learning points indicted in the report include :

1. The abuse of children in both scouting organisations took place and was handled very badly by the preceding organisations, prior to the creation of Scouting Ireland. This was known about at the highest level in both bodies. The extent to which this contributed to the merging of the two bodies into Scouting Ireland is unclear. What can be stated is that there was a lack of scrutiny as to what evidence existed about past abuse cases when the new body was formed. This is evidenced by the fact that the case material was not read, assessed, or cases even counted at the time of the formation of Scouting Ireland. The inherited files were not scrutinized until 2012.

2. Analysis of the legacy cases shows clear mismanagement and a gross failure to respond to risk. Individuals who were known to have abused young people, were not held to account consistently and often remained in scouting but with a different group.

3. Volunteers often mismanaged these situations and there were occasions when individuals tried to interfere with any attempt to address alleged abuse, to protect a suspected offender. The issue of discipline and accountability had a very poor record in scouting. This remains a significant challenge for those in authority in Scouting today. Too much attention was given to avoiding reputational damage.

4. Recent disclosures following increased public scrutiny, confirm that victims were not supported and provided with the help they required at the time that it was known that abuse had happened. It was often the case that they were not apologized to which left them feeling traumatized and angry.

5. Creating accountability structures and processes, has been shown to be a major problem for Scouting. Progress to address this has been slow and overly legalistic. Being a volunteer in Scouting is a privilege, and not a right. When wrongdoing is discovered, it still takes far too long to address it and remove an alleged offender.

6. Those that hurt a child or who do not understand the importance of putting the welfare of the child above everything else, have no place in the organisation.

7. An organisation that has major problems that affect how it responds to safeguarding concerns, will not address these unless it is forced to do so. It must face crisis and challenge before it will act.

8. The risk of a small, well positioned minority within a large youth organisation like Scouting Ireland, controlling how that organisation operates, is very great. To counteract this, you need reform that brings forward leaders who are elected to positions of authority on the basis of competence rather than through a popularity contest. Taking the right action for the right reasons and at the right time, is difficult, but becomes impossible if there are dominant alliances that control the agenda.

9. At the level of the organisation, the process of healing and becoming stronger involves owning up to the past, acknowledging it, and committing to ensuring it will never happen again. Scouting Ireland today is producing evidence that confirms that it is trying hard to do this currently.

10. Putting in place a sound policy framework is important but, is not enough to protect vulnerable young people. At least two further elements are required. Firstly, those in authority have got to want to do it. Secondly, they must recognize that by not doing it, they create risk to the young people, but also to the organization itself. This has got to matter to them. Turning a blind eye is not an option.

The report made many recommendations and in appendix 1 outlined a new approach to safeguarding in Scouting Ireland.

Mr. Elliot stated ‘’What is needed is a new approach to safeguarding within Scouting Ireland’’.

The organisation has taken steps regarding safeguarding procedures following the report.  

Disclaimer

Please be advised that the above-mentioned material is intended as an overview and as a broad out-line of the topic discussed. It should not be considered as complete and comprehensive legal advice, nor act as an appropriate substitute.

Due care has been taken in the publication of this article and we do not accept legal liability as a result of reliance on any material covered in the above article.

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