The Government leader of the Seanad has called for a public, State-led inquiry into the allegations of sexual abuse at St John Ambulance Ireland.
Fine Gael Senator Regina Doherty, whose call was backed by a number of her colleagues, said an inquiry was needed into the first aid organisation which had long received State funding.
The report of a review into allegations of historic sexual abuse at the charity was completed in early November by Dr Geoffrey Shannon, a senior counsel and former Government special rapporteur on child protection.
Ms Doherty called for the report to be published, a move echoed by all Senators in a debate on the issue in the Upper House.
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Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman told the House that while the findings will be presented to the Board of St John Ambulance in the first instance, “it is my expectation that St John’s Ambulance will ensure swift publication of the review report”.
He added that he had expressed his view of the importance of swift publication in correspondence with the organisation.
And he said that officials from Child and Family Agency Tusla and his own officials “have met to prepare for the publication of the report and to ensure that supports are in place for any persons affected by the details contained within the report when it is published”.
Allegations of sexual abuse date back to the 1990s when the case initially concerned three men who made allegations against one named adult. Two of the three were under the age of 18 at the time of the abuse, and all three along with the accused were volunteers in St Johns ambulance.
Conscious decision
Ms Doherty pointed out that subsequently 100 people contributed to Dr Shannon’s report. She said that the public should be shocked about was that officials in the organisation and gardaí to whom these allegations were reported, “did absolutely nothing about it and nothing happened”.
She added that despite St John Ambulance finally in 2012, referring an allegation to the HSE it did not make any contact with the victims until 2018.
The Meath-based Senator said the board and management of the organisation made a conscious decision around abuse, when in a centenary booklet published in 2003 it Photoshopped the individual against whom allegations had been made out of a photograph.
“We have an absolute obligation to ensure that not only their actions in the past, cover-up and all” are dealt with, “but their actions and their commitment today to child protection legislation is absolutely being adhered to.”
Independent Senator Victor Boyhan who seconded her call for a public inquiry said that concerns about alleged child sexual abuse by former senior St John Ambulance officers “were apparently an open secret, and this claim has been made by many past members of the organisation”.
He paid tribute to The Irish Times for an investigation which revealed that a number of men had been abused in the 1990s by senior figures in the organisation.
Mr Boyhan said that “many people will not understand the complexities and the dynamics of grooming, the quasi-military mindset of the organisation, an atmosphere of mistrust and persistent rumours of misconduct”.
The Minister said that Tusla has reviewed the St John Ambulance safeguarding statement and the child protection policies “to ensure these all meet legislative requirements and are fit for purpose”.
