A Scout leader has been charged with the alleged indecent assault of a teenage girl in Sydney’s south-west.
Police say the 14-year-old told a Scout leader that she had been indecently assaulted by a male team leader while at an event at the Australian Scouts Jamboree at Cataract Dam near Appin on Monday.
However the incident was not reported to police until Friday, the ABC reported, after Scout leaders originally responded to the complaint by moving the accused man to another group.
Scouts Australia had since revoked the team leader’s membership, and acknowledged the delay in reporting, saying it was due to a “lack of understanding of Scout protocol and procedures by some leaders.”
“Once the incident came to the attention of the Scout authorities’ onsite at Jamboree the NSW police were notified immediately,” the organisation said in a statement.
“Scouts education and training for leaders on child protection will continue nationally.”
The chief commissioner of Scouts Australia, Chris Bates, said “scouts has provided immediate support to the child and to their parents, and will continue to do so as they require”.
“We are constantly reviewing processes in place to protect young people in our care and to deal swiftly and decisively with any complaints.”
Since 2000 Scouts Australia protocols have included immediate reporting of criminal abuse to police or other authorities. Prior to the changes Scouts Australia did not have an adequate child protection system in place, the royal commission into institutional response to child sexual abuse found.
The Western Australian man, who according to Scouts had a valid WA working with children registration, is set to face Campbelltown local court on Wednesday charged with aggravated indecent assault of a child under 16 while under authority.
