Minister O’Gorman urges co-operation with independent review of safeguarding practices in St. John Ambulance Ireland

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, T.D., welcomes the ongoing work of the independent review, commissioned by the Board of St. John Ambulance Ireland into the management of historical child sexual abuse within the organisation. As Dr. Geoffrey Shannon begins his work, the Minister is encouraging people who may not have been aware of the review, but who may have knowledge of the matters it is examining, to come forward.

The Minister said:

The Board of St. John Ambulance commissioned Dr. Geoffrey Shannon to conduct an independent review into historical allegations of child sexual abuse and current safeguarding practices within the organisation. St John Ambulance are communicating with all current members and the parents/guardians of cadets to inform them that the review is under way.

Dr. Shannon is a leading authority on child protection and child and family law. During three successive terms as Special Rapporteur for Child Protection, Dr. Shannon produced 12 annual reports as well as a range of reports on matters relating to child protection. Dr. Shannon has also served as Chairperson of the Adoption Authority of Ireland.

The terms of reference set out that Dr. Shannon will review how the organisation handled past allegations of child sexual abuse, relating to one volunteer, and will also examine the current standard of child safeguarding.

ENDS

• Dr. Geoffrey Shannon is a solicitor and is a leading authority in Child Law and Family Law. He held the role of Special Rapporteur on Child Protection from 2006 to July 2019.
• Several individuals have made retrospective disclosures of abuse, concerning a former member of St. John Ambulance. A number of allegations have previously been investigated by An Garda Síochána, and files prepared for the DPP.
• St John Ambulance have published the Terms of Reference and details of how to engage with the review, on their website here.
• People who wish to contribute to the review, or contact Dr Shannon can find information here.

Terms of Reference (ToR)

St. John Ambulance Ireland (SJAI) is aware of a number of complaints of sexual abuse of members under the age of 18 years relating to one former volunteer member who ceased volunteering with SJAI circa 2000/1. The Board of St. John Ambulance Ireland has commissioned an independent review to undertake a review of the adequacy and effectiveness of:

PART 1

I. the manner in which the aforesaid complaints in relation to sexual abuse made to the SJAI were dealt with when first made taking into account government guidance and SJAI policies on child protection available at that time (see Appendix I); the manner in which such complaints were dealt with when re-reported in 2013 taking into account government guidance on child protection and SJAI policies available at that time (see Appendix I);

II. whether there were any other complaints (whether in writing or verbal to any person in a position of authority) regarding grooming or abuse in relation to the volunteer concerned over his period of involvement with SJAI, and

III. any other complaints (whether in writing or verbal to any person in a position of authority) relating to any other individual based on reports made to and/or records held by SJAI: and

PART 2

I. the adequacy of arrangements now in place for the protection of children and vulnerable adults who may come into membership of SJAI having regard to TUSLA’s assessment in July 2019;

All with a view to identifying learning and making recommendations for the organisation.

The Report will be to the Board of SJAI.

Members of SJAI will offer full co-operation with the reviewer as she/he determines.