Allegations multiple child abusers operated in St John Ambulance

The State child protection agency has received reports that multiple individuals allegedly abused children in St John Ambulance, including two alleged perpetrators who are now deceased.

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

The alleged perpetrator, who is in his 80s, was removed from the organisation in about 2000 when one survivor reported being sexually abused by the man.

Internal documents from Tusla, the child and family agency, show it has received reports of other alleged child abusers operating in St John Ambulance.

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In an April 25th briefing prepared ahead of an Oireachtas committee hearing, Tusla outlined 11 cases of alleged abuse in St John Ambulance had been reported to the State agency to date.

It stated that child sex abuse allegations against one individual, the former senior figure in the Old Kilmainham unit, had been deemed “founded” following a Tusla investigation.

The briefing said allegations of abuse had also been reported to Tusla about two further alleged perpetrators, who were now deceased.

The document suggests for the first time that the former senior figure was not the only individual allegedly involved in abusing children in the first aid organisation in the past.

Earlier this year an independent report concluded St John Ambulance had for years failed to intervene, despite a “significant degree of organisational awareness” and knowledge of the risk the former senior figure posed to children.

The report, by Mr Justice Geoffrey Shannon, found the organisation’s structure and culture “facilitated” potential grooming of children, and “failed to intervene or investigate despite evidence of potential risks”.

It also criticised current standards in the voluntary organisation, such as failures in its Garda vetting system and the handling of several contemporary child protection cases.

The report was commissioned following reporting by The Irish Times from late 2020 onwards, which revealed several men had been abused as boys in the organisation by the former senior figure.

Gardaí are investigating a number of allegations of historical child sexual abuse by the former senior figure, with a Garda spokesman confirming those inquiries are ongoing.

Following the report’s publication last March, the Department of Children raised concerns with St John Ambulance over current failings it identified.

In a March 23rd letter, Des Delaney, the department’s chief social worker, said officials’ “immediate concern” was the report’s findings of recent failings in the organisation’s Garda vetting system.

Mr Delaney sought assurances from St John Ambulance commissioner John Hughes that no volunteer who had contact with minors was “without current in-date Garda vetting”. It was of “critical priority” that all volunteers working with children in the organisation were Garda vetted, he wrote.

The internal Tusla briefing and department correspondence were released to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act.

It is understood St John Ambulance is still attempting to find replacements for three board members who remain in place, after previously telling Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman the directors would be stepping down.