The Murphy report into child sexual abuse in swimming makes 106 recommendations relating to the organisation and administration of swimming in Ireland. Many of the recommendations, if implemented, will dramatically change the way in which the governing body of swimming - the Irish Amateur Swimming Association (IASA) - its branch network and the affiliated clubs treat their members.
The recommendations suggest cultural changes in the way children, particularly, are treated and offer practical safeguards to ensure that complaints are dealt with quickly and in confidence and that any errant behaviour by children, which may have been brought about by abuse, is monitored and reported.
In the section dealing with complaints, the report says reporting suspected child abuse or an allegation of abuse is not the same as making an accusation and that rumours which do not constitute a complaint should not be ignored.
The inquiry also recommends that counselling and/or a helpline be maintained by the health boards for adults who have been abused in swimming.
In a damning conclusion the report states: "The overall tone of the evidence given was one of an organisation in disharmony where the energies of well-meaning volunteers were diverted, and continue to some extent to be diverted, towards recrimination and away from the goals of enthusiastic and promising young swimmers."
The recommendations, however, rely on strict implementation and while they say that extensive reorganisation of the sport is required they do not suggest changes in personnel within the IASA, one of the main areas of family and victim dissent.
The recommendations only appear to apply to the Leinster Branch and the IASA. They do not seem to draw on any input from the Munster, Connacht or Ulster Branches of the association.
The inquiry recommends:
that the IASA should be the governing body to monitor the achievement of organised swimming;
victims should be afforded counselling
safety statements should be given to all members;
the organisation of swimming at Leinster Branch and association level requires a comprehensive review of its objectives, constitution and governance;
consideration should be given to the appointment of a full-time chief executive accountable to a board of directors;
urgent appointment of a child protection officer;
the association should monitor transfers and non-renewals of members under the age of 18 and report on movements;
the funding of the association should primarily be the responsibility of the members;
greater public funding should be given because of the extent of the reorganisation and training necessary;
consideration be given to enfranchising young swimmers or having female or male club captains elected by swimmers to represent them at committee level;
records and minutes should be computerised;
procedures relating to child safety should be reviewed annually;
each club committee should appoint one or more children's liaison officers;
female and male managers be appointed when there are male and female members on trips;
team managers submit a joint report to the club within seven days of end of trip;
coach to stand down where complaints of sexual abuse are made;
persons in respect of whom complaints of sexual abuse have been made to stand down;
grievance and disciplinary procedures should be included in coaches' contracts;
coaches to be aware of risk with regard to relationships with swimmers;
all coaches and officers to attend child protection seminars;
coaches to be professionally qualified before undertaking hypnosis;
reporting abuse is not the same as making an allegation;
if children are at risk the club committee should be informed by Garda or the Health Board;
any complaint should be taken seriously;
rumours should not be ignored;
parents should not leave children in clubs after sessions are over;
children to be introduced to children's liaison officer;
Childline telephone number to be prominently displayed;
structures require financial resources, which are at present inadequate.
