Joseph’s pain is made worse by feeling he could have prevented other children being abused in the Scouts
All names and identifying details have been changed.
Participants have given us permission to share their experiences.
Joseph tells of the continuing anguish he feels as a result of being abused by his scoutmaster, Seth. The abuse occurred on a weekly basis when he was in the Scouts and he now knows that Seth was abusing other children, although he did not know this at the time.
Another person who was abused by Seth made a complaint about him. When Joseph saw this information in the press, he came forward, as did other victims and survivors.
Joseph now questions whether the Scout Association knew what Seth had done and tried to cover it up, or whether they were unaware of the abuse. He learned later that, following an incident at a Scout camp, another person made an allegation against Seth, who was asked to leave.
Joseph understands that this incident was not reported to the police by the Scouts, and he believes that Seth went on to abuse others.
Seth was eventually charged, but he died before his trial came to court. Joseph received news of this from a victims and survivors group and it affected him so much that he had to leave his job.
Joseph relates that he received little help to support him through what had happened, apart from a victims and survivors group, which he did not feel was appropriate for him.
He says he has tried to deal with his issues himself, but his personal relationships have been badly affected. His last relationship broke down. He is now estranged from his children and does not speak to his parents.
A few years ago, Joseph approached the Scout Association to seek help, but they said they could not help him, suggesting that he speak to his doctor.
He says he had to self-fund expensive therapy and take months off work due to the impact this was having on him. His employer at the time supported him, offering full pay while he was on sick leave, but he is concerned that other people might not be lucky enough to have such a supportive and tolerant employer.
Joseph took the Scout Association to court and received an out-of-court settlement. However, he thinks the legal system does not work for victims and survivors and tends to push blame back on them. He also feels that he was put under pressure to agree a settlement which favoured the insurance company over him.
He describes how he feels guilty for not saying anything at the time about the abuse he suffered. He worries that he might have stopped other children being abused if he had done so.
Joseph hopes that by sharing his experiences now, it will help to change things for people like him in the future.