Scouts putting ‘the lives of young people at risk’, warns coroner

Ben Leonard, from Stockport, died from head injuries after slipping at the Great Orme, in Llandudno, during the trip in August 2018.

In a prevention of future deaths report, following an inquest into Ben’s death, assistant coroner for North Wales David Pojur warns that “the lives of young people are being put at risk by The Scout Association's failure to recognise the inadequacies of its operational practice and the part this has played in the death of Ben”.

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A jury at an inquest in Manchester this month, which was presided over by Pojur, found Ben had been unlawfully killed by the scout leader and assistant scout leader on the trip and this had been contributed to by neglect by the Scout Association.

Pojur's report states he is “concerned there is not a culture of candour within The Scout Association and the impact that this has on safety and safeguarding”.

He details how the Scout Association “failed” to provide the inquest with “full information about the action it had in fact taken concerning its leaders on the trip” after Ben’s death.

The charity also “created a misleading impression in the evidence concerning its actions regarding its leaders on the trip post death”.

Pojur found that the scout leader, who is not named, was granted a permit to oversee the trip “simply by providing a list of camps he had been on”.

This “demonstrates that there was no robust system in place to ensure that a permit holder responsible for children’s safety was suitably qualified”, found Pojur.

During the inquest it emerged that the scout leader involved had “limited knowledge and understanding” of his training as a volunteer leader, which was similar for other leaders on the trip.

“This gives rise to a concern that there are other appointed leaders in post who are not suitably competent or qualified in respect of the fundamental issues of safety and safeguarding,” he warns.

The coroner’s report details how, on the day of the accident, the scout leader had left “to move his car” before the trip, which was supervised by two assistant scout leaders without “a brief, instructions or written risk assessment”.

During the trip Ben and two other Scouts split off from the main group and were left unsupervised as they walked to the cliff edge, where Ben slipped and fell.  

Pojur has also criticised the Scout Association for issuing of a press release “within moments” of the jury’s findings.

This “demonstrates a failure of The Scout Association to accept any accountability and understanding any proper learning from Ben’s death”, said Pojur, who added, “the Scout Association is institutionally defensive”.

The coroner David Pojur has referred the case to North Wales Police to investigate over conspiracy to pervert the course of justice concerns.

In a statement the Scout Association chair Jennie Price said: “As a result of Ben’s tragic death in 2018, we have already made many changes to our risk assessments, safety rules, training and support we give our volunteers.”

She added: “Keeping young people safe from harm remains our number one priority at Scouts. We emphatically refute allegations made in court about any criminal action on behalf of the Scout Association.”