A major investigation into child sexual abuse in St John Ambulance has been completed

The examination, headed by Dr. Geoffrey Shannon, a former special rapporteur on child protection, considered interviews from up to 100 people, including victims and members of St John Ambulance.

The team producing the report did not implement a strict submission deadline to allow as many people as possible to come forward, with survivors contacting them as late as last month.

The report, which will focus on handling sexual abuse complaints, will likely be submitted to St John Ambulance within the next few weeks. It must also undergo various legal checks to ensure it may be published without barriers. Dr. Shannon has declined to comment on the project until this final submission has been made.

Mick Finnegan was a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a senior officer of St John Ambulance. The abuse started when he joined the organisation at age 12. Multiple complaints have been filed against Mr Finnegan’s abuser, and Tusla has determined that the allegations are founded.

Mr Finnegan’s abuser started by using first aid training as an excuse to touch his victims, but this soon escalated to rape when in Mr Finnegan’s case. Mr Finnegan was only 14 then, and the attack led him to leave the organisation. Mr Finnegan’s attacker is not the only former volunteer being investigated, several other investigations are underway.

Mr Finnegan is now studying to become a social worker at Trinity College and has been campaigning for justice for victims of St John Ambulance for years. He believes survivors should be able to view the report simultaneously as the St John Ambulance board.

As the organisation commissioned the investigation, the Minister for Children, Roderic O’Gorman, cannot legally compel the organisation to give survivors a copy at an earlier stage. Although survivors will eventually receive a copy, Mr Finnegan was deeply disappointed in this response.

If you have been the victim of sexual assault or sexual abuse, please get in touch with Diane Treanor either by email or freephone us on 1800 844 104 for a Free Case Evaluation. We understand that any form of abuse is extremely distressing for the victim and their family, and we deal with each case on a personal, one-to-one basis with compassion, empathy, and understanding.