Sexual abuse of cadets 'was covered up by officials who urged victims not to tell police'

Almost 100 cadet force instructors have been dismissed in the past five years after allegations of sex abuse and leaders repeatedly tried to cover up past allegations, an investigation has found.

 

Parents of cadets who had been abused were encouraged not to go to the police as cadet organisations tried to hush up the accusations, it is alleged.

 

A total of 363 sexual abuse allegations, both current and historic, have been made across the Army, Air and Sea cadet forces since 2012, according to a seven-month BBC Panorama investigation.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/04/sexual-abuse-cadets-covered-officials-urged-victims-not-tell/

MoD admits over 350 sexual abuse complaints have been made by cadets

BBC1’s Panorama uncovered accusations that sexual abuse claims had been covered up by authorities

 

More than 350 complaints of sexual abuse perpetrated against members of Britain’s cadet forces have been made in the past five years, the Ministry of Defence has said, as reports emerged that some cases were covered up by the authorities.

 

Figures released by the MoD show that, of the 363 claims lodged between 2012 and 2017, 282 were referred to the police. The allegations also led to the dismissal of 99 instructors across the three cadet branches: army, air and sea, as Whitehall paid out more than £2m in compensation to the survivors.

 

The claims of a cover-up are due to be aired by BBC1’s Panorama on Tuesday evening. During a lengthy investigation, the programme’s journalists spoke to numerous witnesses and survivors who alleged that their accusations of sexual abuse within the cadets were not acted upon.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jul/04/mod-admits-over-350-sexual-abuse-complaints-have-been-made-by-cadets

Army Cadets Present Child Protection

The safety and security of the young people in our care is of paramount importance to us.

 

Every adult volunteer is required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (or its equivalent from Disclosure Scotland in Scotland or Access Northern Ireland in Northern Ireland) and is subject to additional security checks before they can take sole charge or responsible leadership of cadets.

READ MORE HERE: https://armycadets.com/parents-and-carers/child-protection-policy/

Cadet leader jailed for abuse of boy (12)

An army cadets sergeant who tried to film boys in a toilet and sexually assaulted a child has been jailed for 21 months. Police discovered dozens of indecent photographs of children as young as six months when they seized a laptop from Craig Bannatyne’s Motherwell home. Bannatyne (22), of Linksview Road, was sentenced at Hamilton Sheriff Court. He admitted hiding a phone in a toilet of a cadet hall in another part of Lanarkshire in a bid to get images of boys in a state of undress. Bannatyne also admitted sexually assaulting a boy of 12, sending messages of a sexual nature to a cadet and possession of child porn.

READ MORE HERE[/b]: http://www.motherwelltimes.co.uk/news/crime/cadet-leader-jailed-for-abuse-of-boy-12-1-4431396

Army Cadets officer allowed to return to barracks despite being accused of abusing recruits:

AN Army Cadets officer was let back into his unit despite being accused of abusing his young recruits.

 

John Fitzpatrick, 58, was investigated about his behaviour with teenage boys in his care in the 80s but was allowed to return to the Glasgow Highlanders battalion, based at the city’s Hotspur Street barracks.

 

He later went on to attack two teenage boys during a sleepover at his flat.

 

One of Fitzpatrick’s most recent victims said: “I’m very disappointed in the cadets. He was suspended previously and they allowed him to return, then this happens to us.”

READ MORE HERE: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/army-cadets-officer-allowed-return-7593928

Former Birmingham army cadet leader Brian Leonard named as serial child abuser by Panorama

Alleged victim among 10 men who claim they were abused by commanding officer at Tennal Grange Cadets iin 1980s

 

A former commanding officer of a Birmingham army cadet base has been accused of being a serial child sex abuser who targeted young recruits.

 

Brian Leonard was named in a Panorama investigation which claims the British Army, Air and Sea Cadets is facing an abuse scandal on the scale of the Jimmy Savile and the Catholic Church inquiries.

 

The BBC programme spoke to 10 men who claim to have been abused by Leonard in the 1980s, when he was commanding officer at Tennal Grange Cadets base in Harborne .

READ MORE HERE: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/former-birmingham-army-cadet-leader-13279988

The BBC1’s Panorama Programme can be viewed on "I Player" (Cadet Abuse Cover-Up): http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08xgvqn/panorama-cadet-abuse-coverup

Why does it surprise you?

Anyone with authority/power/influence over a minor can sexually abuse them.

In my day the News of the World oft reported vicars of 'interfering' with choirboys'

What about bullies/(foster) parents/teachers/Celebs/Youth Leaders?

Funny in my day when I joined a Cadet Force just down from one mentioned in BBC Panorama it was not widely known as you seems to describe as at the time it was whispers that were going round and you need to remember this is children at the time we are talking about not adults