February 17, 2012

Scouts Canada Admits Not Reporting Abuse Claims

After issuing a blanket apology to former Scouts who were sexually abused and claiming that every single allegation of sexual misconduct was reported to authorities, Scouts Canada has now admitted that some allegations of sexual misconduct were not investigated and not reported to police as required by law and Scouts Canada's own policies.

Last year Scouts Canada said they have requested KPMG to conduct an "independent review" of 350 past allegations of suspected or alleged sexual abuse. What isn't clear is if the 350 is the number of suspected victims or the number of suspected abusers.

Tip of the Iceberg
The fact that there are 350 past victims or abusers should be a huge concern to Scouts Canada. As a sexual abuse lawyer, I have been representing survivors of childhood sexual abuse for more than 20 years. I have represented hundreds of survivors.

Over 20 years and hundreds of cases I have only had one case where there was a single victim!

There is abundent scientific literature that shows sexual offenders have a very high chance of re-offending.

For example, in one study of recidivism rates of pedophiles (how often pedophile re-offend) the researchers found: "... recidivism rates were 22.8%, 33.9%, and 45.6% for sexual, violent, and any reoffence, respectively."

Simply put, the survivors who have come forward to report that they were abused are likely just the tip of the iceberg.

Whether the 350 number is an estimate of the number of past victims or the number of suspected abusers, it means that there could be hundreds of victims who have not yet reported the abuse they suffered.

Secrecy Protects the Abusers

Sexual abuse is a crime of secrecy. Victims suffer in silence, sometimes for decades, before being able to come forward and disclose what happened to them.

There are services for survivors of sexual abuse to get help. But the first step is Breaking the Silence to tell someone.

Posted by John McKiggan | | Email This Post

Posted In: Boy Scouts , Sexual Abuse

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November 7, 2011

Boy Scouts Canada Kept Secret List of Abusers: Players are different but the script is the same.

Boy Scouts Canada kept a secret list of scout leaders and volunteers who had been convicted of, or accused of sexual abuse according to an investigative report by CBC’s Fifth Estate.

Secret List of Abusers

According to media reports the Boy Scouts of America have long maintained a list of scout leaders and volunteers who had been accused of inappropriate sexual behavior with children.

The investigation in Canada indicates that Boy Scouts Canada maintain a similar list.

The spokesperson for Boy Scouts Canada claims Scouts Canada has never maintained a list of scout leaders and volunteers who have been accused of abuse.

Safety Requires a List

It is not surprising to me that an institution like the Boy Scouts, where volunteers are in a position of authority over young vulnerable children, would maintain a list of volunteers who had been found to have acted inappropriately.

In fact, I think it would be prudent for any organization involved with children to maintain such a list. I would go so far as to say that it would be negligent for Scouts Canada not to maintain this kind of a list. What raises concerns is the fact that these lists (if they exist at all) were secret.

Secrecy Protects the Abusers

Child abuse is a crime of secrecy. Pedophiles use their influence and authority to prey upon vulnerable children. They threaten, intimidate or cajole their victims into maintaining their silence which enables pedophiles to continue their predations.

Reporting Abuse is the Law

The fact that children who are being abused may not be in a position to report what is happening to them is what lead the governments of every province to enacted legislation requiring persons in authority to report suspected cases of child abuse.

Unfortunately, there are some institutions that believe that the reputation of the institution is more important than protecting children. Therefore, persons in authority within the institution fail to notify authorities when an adult within their ranks is found to have committed inappropriate acts with children.

Churchs Fail to Report

We have seen this time and time again with religious institutions, particularly the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church is perhaps unique in that the Code of Canon Law requires the Bishop of each diocese to maintain a “secret archive” of any accusations of inappropriate conduct made against priests. Canon 1719

Litigation against Catholic Churches throughout North America has uncovered many examples of instances where the bishops or officials from the Vatican have sought to interfere the obligation to report to the authorities.

See for example:

The Catholic Church and Sexual Abuse

Different Players - Same Script

Unfortunately, it appears from the Fifth Estate Investigation that the Boy Scouts of America and Boy Scouts Canada felt that it was more important to protect the reputation of the Scout movement than it was to protect the children who were being preyed upon by pedophile scout leaders.

Silence Protects Abusers

Sexual abuse is a crime of secrecy. Pedophiles can only commit their offences when they are protected by the shadows of secrecy. It is only when pedophiles are exposed by the glaring light of public disclosure that they can be held accountable.

That is why I say to abuse survivors" If you have been sexually abused tell someone!"

Be it a family member, a friend, a health professional or a counselor. The best way to get help and to prevent the abuse from happening to others is to disclose what happened.

As a public service we have prepared a directory of professionals who provide counseling services to abuse survivors in the Atlantic Provinces. If you would like to receive a copy of the directory, at no charge, please feel free to contact me through this blog.

Posted by John McKiggan | | Email This Post

Posted In: Boy Scouts , Sexual Abuse

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