Report into historic child sex abuse allegations in St John Ambulance completed, survivors told

An independent report into historical child sex abuse allegations in St John Ambulance has been completed, with the first-aid organisation expected to come under pressure to publish the report in the coming weeks.

In correspondence to survivors on Monday night, child law expert Dr Geoffrey Shannon, author of the report, confirmed his extensive investigation was now complete.

The review was commissioned by the organisation after an investigation by The Irish Times reported several men had allegedly been sexually abused in the past, by a senior figure in the organisation’s Old Kilmainham division in Dublin in the 1990s.

The individual, now in his 80s, was a member of the organisation from the 1950s until about 2000, leaving under pressure to resign after one survivor reported the alleged abuse.

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Tusla, the State child and family agency, deemed child abuse allegations made against the man to be “founded”, following its own statutory investigation in recent years.

On foot of media reporting about the past abuse controversy, several further men came forward alleging they had also been molested by the same man as the children in the organisation.

To date, eight men who have spoken to The Irish Times have claimed they were sexually abused by the former senior figure in St John Ambulance.

The sexual abuse is alleged to have happened while on first aid duties, in the back of ambulances, in the man’s home, as well as on weekend trips organised for groups of youth members by the individual, where alcohol would be supplied.

Dr Shannon, a senior counsel and former government special rapporteur on child protection, was commissioned by St John Ambulance to conduct an independent review into the historical abuse allegations.

In correspondence to survivors on Monday night, Dr Shannon said the report was now finished and “ready to be sent” to St John Ambulance, once he received assurances over some data protection requirements.

“I appreciate this is a very difficult time for you and those who have given so generously of their time to the review, but I wish to re-assure you that the delivery of the report to [St John Ambulance] remains my top priority,” he wrote.

Dr Shannon said when the report had been sent to the board of the organisation, he would write to survivors to inform them. He was appointed to carry out the work in March 2021, which included reviewing records and interviewing alleged abuse victims, as well as speaking to current and former volunteers.

The expected completion of the report had been delayed on a number of occasions since the summer, as further people came forward to report alleged abuse or to provide information, and others sought to review transcripts of their earlier interviews.

Survivors and Opposition politicians have previously called on the organisation to publish the report without delay when it receives it from Dr Shannon.

St John Ambulance has stated its board “remains committed to publishing the report for public consumption after the obligatory legal scrutiny is conducted”.