A former scout leader has been jailed for four years for indecently assaulting five young boys when they were members of his scout troop in Cork over 30 years ago.
Imposing sentence, Judge Helen Boyle said those outings, which should have been ones of fun and adventure, were instead turned into horrific experiences by Sheehan when he abused his victims. “They were preyed upon by you when you were in charge of their welfare.
He told Judge Boyle the scouting motto of ‘Bí Ullamh’, or ‘Be Prepared’, was highly ironic, as nothing could have prepared him for what happened at the hands of Sheehan on overnights for scouting weekends. Another man decided to renew a complaint in 2021 to protect children, when contacted by the gardaí after the DPP decided not to prosecute when he first complained 20 years ago. “He has been slipping through the hands of the criminal justice system for far too long,” he said.