Expert testimony by a researcher who has been working with the Boy Scouts of America reveals that there may have been as many as 7,819 sexually abusive troop leaders and volunteers in the organization since the 1940s.
According to newly released court documents, expert testimony delivered by Dr. Janet Warren – a child sex abuse researcher hired by the Boy Scouts to evaluate its handling of sexual abuse allegations between 1944 and 2016 – suggests that the number of abused children could be as high as 12,200.
In addition, the Boy Scouts maintained a database of “ineligible volunteers,” containing the names of more than 7,800 Boy Scout troop leaders who had been accused of, or were suspected of, sexually abusing young boys within the troop.
Existence of “Perversion Files”
The existence of these so-called “perversion files” has been reported in the past. In 2010, a jury ordered the Boy Scouts to pay $18.5 million to a man who claimed he was molested by a former Scoutmaster. Despite the verdict, the former Scoutmaster was allowed to continue serving in the organization, even after he told Scout officials that he had molested 17 boys.
Similarly, more than 14,500 pages of newspaper clippings and handwritten testimonials from victims were released to the public in 2012 following an order by the Oregon Supreme Court. Although the documents supposedly were compiled to prevent alleged pedophiles from rising to leadership positions in the Scouts, they included evidence that some alleged pedophiles were allowed to continue serving in the organization due to pressure from local organization officials.
What has not been made public, though, is the full breadth of the sexual abuse epidemic within the Boy Scouts. While the number of victims and the way in which the Scouts concealed abusers within their own ranks is shocking enough, the fact that the organization has never released the names of the abusers in any form that can be known to the public is truly alarming. Bottom line: these individuals may have been removed from scouting, but the Boy Scouts never alerted the community about their existence or the way in which they abused young boys.
What to Do If You Are a Victim
If you have been a victim of sexual abuse while a member of the Boy Scouts of America, or if you suspect a loved one may have been abused, don’t sit still. It’s important to take action now. Call our experienced sexual abuse lawyers today. All consultations are free and, if we represent you or your loved one, you pay nothing unless we win. Call 800-730-7111 today.
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