Scouting Ireland has indicated it is planning to set up a redress scheme to pay compensation to survivors of historical child sexual abuse in legacy scouting organisations. The scheme is expected to cost several million euro.
In recent correspondence to lawyers representing alleged victims, the youth organisation’s solicitors said Scouting Ireland “hopes in the future to establish a redress scheme” to pay compensation to people who allege they were abused as children by scout leaders.
The correspondence, seen by The Irish Times, said payments to alleged abuse victims under any future scheme “will not constitute any admission of legal liability” by the organisation.
Scouting Ireland has been at the centre of a major historical child sex abuse scandal in recent years, with more than 350 children allegedly abused in its predecessor organisations.
The abuse was tolerated at the highest levels of the former scouting bodies and covered up for decades to protect the reputation of the scouting movement, according to a 2020 report by child protection expert Ian Elliott.
The recent correspondence from Sheehan & Company LLP, who represent Scouting Ireland, is the first time the organisation has referenced setting up a formal redress scheme.
More than 40 alleged abuse victims are pursuing legal cases against the organisation, which has set aside a liability of more than €6 million in its financial accounts to cover the costs of claims.
The correspondence from Scouting Ireland’s solicitors was sent on September 2nd to Coleman Legal Partners, a firm representing nearly 30 alleged scouting abuse victims.
The youth organisation’s solicitors said when it came to legal claims over alleged historical abuse, Scouting Ireland was “severely prejudiced” in its ability to defend the cases given the time that has passed.
Scouting Ireland did not respond to requests for comment on proposals for a redress scheme. The youth organisation has previously said it cannot comment on matters before the courts.
The abuse controversy relates to the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland and Scout Association of Ireland, which merged to form Scouting Ireland in 2004.
The current organisation previously issued a full apology to survivors in response to the revelations child abuse had been systemic in the legacy bodies.
In the years since the abuse scandal first came to light in late 2018, following reporting in The Irish Times, senior figures in the organisation have committed to try to avoid survivors having to fight protracted legal battles for compensation.
However, lawyers representing alleged victims have claimed the organisation has to date taken an overly defensive approach to contest legal claims.
Norman Spicer, a solicitor with Coleman Legal Partners, welcomed signals the organisation was shifting from its previous policy of “vigorously defending” legal claims from survivors.
“However, we remain sceptical that the latest iteration will amount to anything more than empty words,” he said. “Every day that the victims have to fight their way through the legal system is an injustice that adds to the stress and hurt of the individuals and their families,” he said.
Earlier this year Scouting Ireland said its insurers had disputed aspects of liability to cover the cost of settlements made to survivors. The organisation said it had entered an arbitration process with its insurer Allianz over what extent it had past insurance cover for legal cases taken by abuse survivors.
