First Reported In 1987

at

Tonight.

On RTÉ One, at 9.35pm, RTÉ Investigates will broadcast a programme examining the repeated failures of the former Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland and the Scouting Association of Ireland in relation to sex abuse allegations.

The broadcast of Scouts Dishonour comes as Scouting Ireland, set up in 2003, continues to carry out its own historic review of how sex abuse allegations have been handled, with a report due out next February.

Reporter Oonagh Smyth told Audrey Carville, on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, that tonight’s documentary includes the case of one man who was first reported in 1987 and again in 1996.

However, the man wasn’t removed from the scouts until last year – when he was arrested.

She also referred to a briefing note prepared for the Minister for Children Katherine Zappone last year by Scouting Ireland’s CEO John Lawlor – that Ms Smyth and her team got under the Freedom of Information Act.

She said this states many records went missing in the 1990s from both the former Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland and the Scouting Association of Ireland and that there were people in the organisations who were prepared to facilitate the abuse and prevent cases from coming to light.

Ms Smyth said survivors are calling for a more independent inquiry than the review being currently undertaken by Scouting Ireland.

She also said the most recent figures indicate that 247 alleged perpetrators of abuse and 401 alleged cases of sexual abuse within the scouts have been identified.

Public inquiry urged into Scouting Ireland’s handling of abuse claims (Oonagh Smyth, RTÉ)

Listen back in full here

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7 thoughts on “First Reported In 1987

  1. postmanpat

    It wouldn’t happen today , at least not after the first allegation. A scout master would be broke to pieces by some Irish:polish / irish:eastern European kids big burley auldfella and that would be that. The Irish fathers and uncles of boys were pathetic scrawny “men” back in 70’s and 80’s Ireland and the sexual predators in the schools, scouts, church and all the junior sports team coaches knew it! . Report and enquiries? /investigations?/ FOIs? Katherine -waste of a skeleton – Zippone! ?! pfffttt give me a break!! Its not as if compo (money money money for “survivors” (full on rape victims) all the way to just ‘cos my arse was grabbed one time) is going to come from the perpetrator, it will be public money, as usual. Just leak the names and addresses of the perverts and let natural justice take its course. And to all the dads out there. if your kid comes home with disturbing news , be a god damn man about it and sort it yourselves.

          1. Otis Blue

            Fair play Bertie.

            Just like any good postman* you always deliver.

            * I toy with the idea that pp might in fact work for An Post and that this accounts for his Travis Bickle-like worldview.

  2. class wario

    Can’t wait for RTE to go under so we can get some proper private sector investigatory pieces instead of this!

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