Scouts attacked over abuse reports failure

Officials insisted the safety of young people belonging to the Scout movement was their "number one priority" in the wake of Martyn Tucker being jailed for 12 years earlier this week for 26 offences against boys in the 1960s and 1970s. The charges included offences which took place while Tucker was an assistant scoutmaster in Whitchurch.

But Alyn and Deeside MP Mark Tami has said the Scout Association should have informed police about Tucker's activities, which included offences in Mr Tami's constituency. He said measures needed to be brought in to ensure such a scenario did not happen again.

During a hearing at Mold Crown Court, it emerged the scouting officials had been informed of the attacks in the 1970s and even took statements from a number of boys. But they were never passed on to police and were only uncovered by officers from the scout's headquarters last year.

Tucker also abused boys while the manager of a clothes shop in Whitchurch, taking them into the shop's changing rooms, the court was told.

Tucker, who now lives in Chester, was jailed on Wednesday (MAY 14) after previously admitting five counts of serious sexual assault, 12 of indecent assault and nine charges of indecency with a child. The offences date from 1968 to 1978 on five victims, all young teenagers.

Simon Carter, a spokesman for the Scout Association has said: "The Scout Association is pleased that Martyn Tucker pleaded guilty to his crimes and has been suitably punished for his appalling actions.

"The safety of young people in our care is our number one priority.

"Following the conclusion of the court proceedings The Scout Association will now fully review this case from the 1970s to learn all possible lessons that it can from this process.

"The Scout Association co-operated fully with the police in the case and as soon as they raised concerns about Tucker's past behaviour we offered them unlimited and unrestricted access to our records."

Mr Tami said: "These allegations only came to light because the police found out about them, rather than the scouts bringing it to their attention.

"I think the Scout Association needs to look at themselves in the first instance. They now have very tight guidelines and procedures, we need to make sure there are not any more cases."

"If this had been dealt with properly at the time he could've been stopped."

During his police interview, Tucker said: "I have been waiting for this, particularly since the Jimmy Savile stuff came out.

"I hoped it would never happen but I knew that one day it would. I deeply regret what I did then. I have lived with it. I ruined my life and I ruined others."