In early 2018 things started to unravel for Ireland’s scouting movement. First there was a stark report written by child protection expert Ian Elliott which pulled no punches in making it clear that Scouting Ireland’s dysfunctional approach to child protection had put the organisation at risk of “extinction”. Irish Times reporter Jack Power broke the story in late February 2018, after which leading figures stepped aside before ultimately being expelled. This initial controversy would eventually lead to revelations of major historical child sexual abuse involving Scouting Ireland’s two predecessor bodies: the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland (CBSI) and Scout Association of Ireland. On today’s In the News podcast, Power talks to Conor Pope about the abuse scandal at Scouting Ireland and where the organisation can go now, as it seeks to unshackle itself from a troubled and troubling past and look towards a brighter future.

Source: The Irish Times June 08, 2021 05:37 UTC