The sentencing of former Irish Olympic swimming coach George Gibney to more than 15 years in prison brings an end to a legal saga that began with a court appearance in Dún Laoghaire District Court in 1993 and ran for more than 30 years.
For those swimmers who were sexually abused by the most powerful figure in Irish swimming at the time, Gibney cast a dark shadow over their lives. Their emotional journey has lasted for 50 years and more.
The 77-year-old former coach was found guilty of 39 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape of children. The sentencing by Judge Micheál P O’Higgins will perhaps give some sense to his victims of justice being served, but the impact of his actions has been enormous.
Not all lived to see Gibney finally face imprisonment. Others, who were deeply damaged by his predations, were unable to take the stand. Those individuals continue to face their own demons and serious life challenges.
RM Block
The four women who made complaints and triggered his arrest by US marshals before his extradition from the US last year were victims of Gibney’s abusive and criminal conduct through the 1970s and 1980s.
His assaults were largely against young swimmers who trained at Newpark and Glenalbyn swimming pools in south Dublin and the offences for which he was convicted were against children aged 8 to 14-years-old.
Gibney originally faced criminal charges in 1993. However, he was released when the Supreme Court ruled in his favour, after his lawyers said there was a lack of specificity in the charges and an undue delay since the events referred to had taken place. The subsequent halting of the investigation against Gibney caused consternation and outrage.
The original group of swimmers who made complaints never had their day in court, although they undoubtedly paved the way for his eventual conviction, involving a different set of individuals.
What remains deeply troubling is how Gibney remained at large for so long over the following years. When he was originally freed, he fled to Scotland and then to the US, finally settling in Florida, where he lived freely until last year.
Gibney was not alone. For many years, swimming was riddled with scandal. Prominent individuals in the sport, Derry O’Rourke, Fr Ronald Bennett and Ger Doyle were all imprisoned for sexual assaults against young swimmers.
In recent years Irish swimming has enjoyed a golden period, winning medals at Olympic Games and bringing so much joy. But the impact of the years of scandal cannot be forgotten. George Gibney, once the sport’s figurehead, was a central figure in a dark and devastating period in Irish sporting history.
