St John Ambulance child abuse survivors claim charity has failed to implement reforms

Renewed calls have been made for St John Ambulance to implement recommendations made 18 months ago for the reform of the charity in the wake of a sexual abuse scandal.

Independent Senator Tom Clonan said the failure to implement the recommendations “is an insult to survivors and compounds their moral distress”.

He told the Seanad he had been contacted by a number of abuse survivors, who told him that changes had not been made despite the recommendations made in a review into allegations of historic sexual abuse concluded in November 2022 and published in March last year.

More than 16 boys were allegedly sexually abused by one former senior figure in the organisation’s Old Kilmainham division in Dublin between the early 1960s and late 1990s.

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The voluntary organisation failed to act against the man for years, despite a “significant degree of organisational awareness” of the risk he posed to children, according to the report, which recommended that the charity overhaul its hierarchical culture and hire a professional child protection officer.

The review into allegations of historic sexual abuse at the charity was conducted by Dr Geoffrey Shannon, a senior counsel and former Government special rapporteur on child protection. Mr Clonan said survivors had received a letter before the review was published, informing them that it had been completed and recommendations made.

“It is now 18 months later and despite the fact that the State is funding a safeguarding officer at St John’s Ambulance those recommendations have not yet been implemented and I think that is a disgraceful and reprehensible state of affairs.” It was “an insult to survivors and compounds their moral distress”.

He wanted a debate “about St John Ambulance, Scouting Ireland and all the other organisations which are recidivist and resist the necessary changes required to safeguard our young people”.

Cathaoirleach of the Seanad Jerry Buttimer agreed that “it is an absolute insult to the survivors” and he repeated the call for the recommendations to be implemented.

Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman earlier this year informed the Oireachtas Committee on Children that his department would fund the child protection officer post and that due to the delay in fulfilling the role he had approved €100,000 to cover the cost.

The organisation had informed the department could not afford to hire a child protection manager as its finances had taken a hit from the “negative publicity” that followed the scandal. It had found a “well-qualified candidate” but could not offer the job to the candidate as a result. The charity also said its financial position had been “impacted” as a result of having to cover the cost of the independent review into past abuse.