Stories

Page 6

• Sexual Abuse

  Many years ago… maybe 1970? I would have been about 12? A small town Scout Group. A Scout Leader’s son persuaded/groomed about 5 or 6 of us to play strip poker in the scout hut ‘after hours’. It was not at the time threatening, but in retrospect I did not like it and wanted to be out of the situation – but I wanted to ‘belong’ too. It was for the gratification of the leader’s son who was the abuser. I do not know if it went further with other boys; when the game was over I dressed and left. I never returned to Scouts having also had an unwanted homosexual approach from at least one other older scout. As an individual I was able to deal with this and put it down to experience, but I was never comfortable in the group thereafter. Again looking back, I now recognise an atmosphere of intangible sexual ‘threat’ lay behind some activities.
• Sexual Abuse

  I was shown pornographic photos by my scout leader and he tried to wank me off. I was 14 years old.
• Grooming

  I was groomed and abused by an older scout, who I am prepared to name, when I was between 11 and 13 years old. The grooming included multiple visits to my home and while away on camping trips. The abuse occurred in several locations, including being forced to share a tent with him and another senior scout. There was no apparent concern from scout leaders who never once asked if I was comfortable in this situation.

  [Comment from Moderators: we will not encourage anyone to name individuals on this site, recommend you contact the police or the NSPCC as official reporting channels]
• Sexual Abuse

  I was a shy lad of 11 yrs in the 1950 s , when I was persuaded to join the scouts. I absolutely loved it ! The highlight was the annual summer camp. I got on with all the other boys , and liked and respected the senior scouts and chief scout.
  I will always remember those times with with pleasure and great affection , apart from one incident involving a Rover scout , who entered our tent one night and abused two of the other boys. It became obvious to me that this was not the first time this had happened. I lay scrunched up in my sleeping bag, resisting his offers to indulge , and being shy , I did not tell anyone of the incident.
  In fact , this is the first time I have told anyone. I have never let this incident ruin my love of scouting as a young boy , nor will I.
• Sexual Abuse

  In around 1972-74, I was in the Cubs and was 8/9 years old. We went swimming often and the Arkela called me into a cubicle on numerous occasions to sit on his knee. He was naked, I had my trunks on, and he jiggled his legs whilst talking to me. Nothing else happened but I think about it very often and have nightmares about what could have happened to me or others. My older brother who was in the Scouts said he often invited them to his house to drink home made sherry but he said nothing else happened to him. I did contact the Scouts about 10 years ago to find out what the fellas name was but they kept fobbing me off and I never found out.
• Sexual Abuse

  I was in the cubs around 1978 when I was 10-12 yrs old I think. On day one I was told to meet one of the leaders on the stage behind a curtain. He asked me to lower my trousers and underwear and asked me to tell him how it felt.

  On another occasion we were on a visit outside. He took me to one side around a corner and asked me to drop my trousers. He bit my penis, that is all I remember as I have tried to forget. Nothing else happened, I think I left shortly after and never told anyone.

  I hadn’t thought about it until I saw the BBC article which led me here.
• Pre 2014

  My late husband was abused by a Scout leader in the 1970s. This contributed to the damage done to his emotional wellbeing, and he eventually took his own life in 2006, leaving 2 teenage boys to cope with the loss of their father.
• Sexual Abuse

  I started Scouts from Cubs in 1982. It was boys only then. The Scout Leader had very wandering hands, especially when he would take us swimming, which he did outside of regular meeting nights. I thought for years it was my imagination until I mentioned it years later to a friend who was in the same Troop at the same time. I then spoke to my younger brother who was also in the Troop 3 1/2 years later than me and my friend. Both my friend and brother confirmed he had had wandering hands with them also.
  The Scout Leader suddenly left about 1991 (I think). Some parents asked why and the DC and our GSL both said it wasn’t for “those sort of reasons”. Both the old DC and GSL passed-away years ago so he’s the only one who knows.
• Sexual Abuse

  I was sexually assaulted by two separate leaders. The first, an ex RAF officer who photographed me and others in sexually aggressive poses. The second, the following leader, raped me as I slept in a tent shared with him. Both assaults were brought to the police. The first committed suicide. The second went to prison. I heard nothing from the Scout Troop and I left at this point. This was 52 years ago. I received no counselling or help.
• Sexual Abuse

  Nearly 80 years ago, I joined a well respected scout group in *****, to which a number of my schoolmates belonged. The scoutmaster there would invite boys into his office where he would stroke them, and would go as far with them as they allowed. I managed to avoid this experience myself, but many of my friends told me what had happened to them. Eventually, one of the more senior scouts complained to the group scout leader, and the scoutmaster was gone. There was no publicity, only the members of the troop knew what had happened, and the whole thing was played right down. As far as I am aware, there was no police action taken against the scoutmaster, as he greeted me on a station platform one evening a few weeks later as I was returning home from school.