Concerns about alleged child sexual abuse by a former senior St John Ambulance officer were an “open secret” in the paramedic organisation for years, past members have claimed. Keith Lambe (39) joined the Ballyfermot division of St John Ambulance when he was about 10 years old in 1993. George Jefferies, a Health Service Executive nurse, was a long-serving St John Ambulance volunteer up until 2015. The decision by St John Ambulance to commission the independent review followed pressure from Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman. St John Ambulance UK said it did not wish to discuss the past abuse scandal when contacted by The Irish Times.

Source: The Irish Times May 17, 2021 03:00 UTC