The Scout Association has said it is “deeply sorry” over the abuse of children as lawyers for the alleged victims say that since the Savile scandal broke two years ago, 56 people have come forward to claim they were abused while in the Scouts.
The Independent reports: The association said 36 civil lawsuits relating to historic cases of child abuse had been brought against it since October 2012, resulting in compensation payments totalling about £500,000.
“We apologise to all those who have been abused during their time in Scouting,” it said in a statement on Wednesday.
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“The safety and support of young people in Scouting is our number one priority. Any abuse of young people is abhorrent and we are deeply sorry for anybody hurt by the actions of abusers. We strive to ensure these abuses do not take place.
“To our great regret, some individuals who seek to abuse young people have used their positions to violate the founding principles of Scouting and have breached our stringent processes. Subsequently, this small minority have abused a young person or persons.”
The statement was issued in response to a report on BBC News which claimed more than 50 people had instructed lawyers about historical abuse claims against Association following the scandal involving Jimmy Savile.’
