Women who claim abuse at tennis club criticise handling of complaints

SEVERAL WOMEN at a Dublin tennis club, who have made allegations of child sex abuse against a former coach and club official, have criticised both the club and State agencies over the handling of their complaints.

The Health Service Executive has refused to discuss the status of an investigation into the women’s allegations. The claims of abuse, which go back decades, relate to a former coach who holds an honorary life position at the club.

Neither Tennis Ireland, the umbrella body for tennis clubs in Ireland, nor a spokesman for the relevant Dublin tennis club, would comment on the case.

Over recent months the HSE has repeatedly ignored queries from The Irish Times on the matter. Asked last March about its initial investigation into the case, it did not respond. Further queries over following weeks resulted in an e- mail response almost a month later.

It read: “The Child Care Act 1991 requires the HSE to take such steps as are thought necessary to ensure the protection of children and to co-ordinate information on this from relevant sources. The HSE works closely with An Garda Síochána in these matters. The HSE has a legal responsibility to ‘ensure the welfare of children’ and will ‘regard the welfare of children as the first and paramount consideration’, but will always need to balance this with the rights of individuals in the community.”

Some time later, the club asked the HSE to renew its investigation of the case. Further queries from this newspaper to the HSE seeking details of the investigation, in April, June and this month, were once again ignored.

A query on July 14th resulted in an e-mail response which was identical to the HSE’s previous correspondence.

The women feel they have been frustrated in their attempt to have the man removed from membership of the club.

They say they feel let down by the club leadership, Tennis Ireland, the HSE and the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The Irish Times has spoken to four of at least six women involved. The alleged abuse took place when they were schoolgirls.

The issue first came to light in 2006 when one of the women approached the club president. It was referred to the local Garda station, as required under child protection guidelines.

The woman let it be known what she was seeking but without disclosing the alleged abuse. In time, other women came forward and soon all their stories began to emerge.

Eventually, six of them alleged that they had been abused as children by the former coach. All made statements to the Garda.

Some of them claimed they were verbally abused by the coach’s wife at about the time of the alleged incidents.

One woman described how when she was 10 or 11 years old, the man’s wife would follow her in a car shouting “prostitute” at her.

The Garda investigation in the case continued until December 2007 when a file was sent to the DPP. In February 2008 the women were told there would be no prosecutions. They requested a review. In October 2008 the DPP upheld the original decision.

It is understood the man had stayed away from the tennis club, at its request, throughout the investigation and has stayed away since. However, the women want the club to expel him and to revoke his honorary life membership, bestowed for services rendered.

They are also concerned at his contact with children at a number of other sports clubs.

They claim club committee members are “dragging their feet”, describing their attitude as “patronising”.

They also believe the latest HSE investigation is an attempt by the club to deflect responsibility for action in the case from itself.