Ben Leonard: Mum's 'soul destroying' wait for Scouts death r
2024-02-24 15:09:37+00:00

The mother of Ben Leonard, who died after a fall on a Scouts trip,
has said the five-year wait for an inquest finding was "soul
destroying".

Two inquests had been abandoned after problems with the Scout
Association's evidence following the 16-year-old's death in 2018.

The teen, from Stockport, died after a slip on the Great Orme in
Llandudno.

A coroner at the third inquest on Thursday found a leader and
assistant were responsible for unlawful killing.

He also found neglect by the Scout Association contributed to Ben's
death.

Jackie Leonard told BBC North West Tonight she felt relief after the
coroner's finding.

"We felt vindicated in a way because there was just so much had gone
on over these years," she explained.

Ms Leonard said her "caring, funny, witty" son had been "looking
forward" to a hike on Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, during the
trip in August 2018.

However, due to poor weather, the scout group were taken for a walk
on the Orme.

The inquest heard there were no on-the-day risk assessments for the
trek and no discussion about safety with the Explorer Scouts by their
group leader Sean Glaister or assistant leader Mary Carr.

Ben and two other boys broke away from the main hike and took their
own unsupervised route but he slipped off a narrow cliff edge and
suffered fatal head injuries.

The jury heard evidence that there had also been no written risk
assessment carried out for the camping trip.

There was additionally no Scout-accredited first-aider on the trip,
after a senior leader failed to attend the event.

The Scout Association could be investigated by police over whether it
tried to pervert the course of justice.

Following Thursday's hearing, the Scouts repeated an apology to the
Leonard family and said changes would be made.

"We emphatically refute allegations made in court about any criminal
action on behalf of the Scout Association," chair Jennie Price added.

Ms Leonard said of delays in concluding the inquest proceedings:
"It's been soul destroying, you know - we've been just in limbo
really, because there's no closure. It's always there, sort of on
your shoulder."

She added the events of 2018 had "broken trust, really, because you
think your children are safe".

She said: "I never, ever worried about him when he went anywhere with
Scouts because I thought he was being looked after."

She has joined calls by parents of other children who have died on
scouting trips for an external regulator and for a public inquiry
into the organisation.

A government spokeswoman said: "Our deepest sympathies are with Ben's
family and friends. Keeping young people safe should always be the
first priority.

"As this is a live police matter we are unable to comment any
further."

Ms Leonard said: "I think [the Scouts] need to look at themselves
very carefully.

"I don't know how some of them sleep at night with what they've done
and the way they have treated us and not just us, but other
families."

She said she believed the organisation, which works with nearly
500,000 young people, had "some good people who are trying to do good
work".

"But they shouldn't be held responsible for compliance, auditing,
training and things like that - they're giving up their time.

"I think it should come from up above, from the association and the
hierarchy needs to do more."

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