Alleged victims of alleged child rapist George Gibney have been asked by an American organisation to make fresh statements to gardaí about their encounters with the former national swimming coach in a bid to bring a new round of charges against him and facilitate his extradition to Ireland.
A Florida-based child-protection organisation, which has been tracking the movements of Gibney in the US, will request – in advertisements in national newspapers in Ireland – that the people who originally made complaints to gardaí about the former Olympic swimming coach make new statements to gardaí.
Evin Daly, president of One Child International, said the organisation would pay legal costs for these victims, who may want to make their statements to gardaí with a solicitor present or need legal advice if the case continues.
Gibney was the national swimming coach from 1984 to 1991, and was charged with 17 counts of sexual abuse. A judicial review in 1994 prevented the case from proceeding due to the length of time that had elapsed since the alleged incidents took place. Gibney then left Ireland and now lives in Orange City, Florida, under the name Jon Gibney.
"He got off on a technicality the last time. But that doesn't mean he cannot still be brought before the courts in Ireland. We will pay for any of his victims' legal costs if they will now again approach gardaí and re-file their complaints. Some new victims may also come forward. This is the last chance for him to face justice in Ireland," Daly told the Sunday Tribune. "People are very angry both over here in Florida and Ireland about how he managed to evade the criminal convictions. We will also be running ads in newspapers in Colorado, where he lived before moving to Florida in 2007, asking anyone who may have had an encounter with Gibney to get in touch with us. We believe he befriended several single mothers with young children while living in Denver, Colorado."
The organisation will take out similar online ads in Florida. The charity believes that Gibney is in breach of the US's strict immigration laws and would have had to lie about his past to get his green card.
Daly said justice minister Dermot Ahern could exercise his political will to reopen the investigation into the 64-year-old.
"He needs to get some cojones and stand up and do something about this man," she said. "He needs to show leadership. Dermot Ahern's backing of a new investigation could really give this some momentum."
Two weeks ago, One Child International wrote to Ahern, asking him to investigate Gibney and urging the former swimming coach's extradition to Ireland. Last week, Ahern declined to intervene to seek Gibney's extradition, with his spokesman saying it was a matter for the gardaí and the DPP.
Three years ago, the Sunday Tribune hired a private investigator to track down Gibney to the Enterprise Cove complex, where he continues to live in an apartment less than 100 yards from a community swimming pool.
In February, the residents of Enterprise Cove received a flyer about the 1994 Irish court case against Gibney and allegations of serious child abuse made against him by former swimmers. Since then, a neighbourhood watch – organised and guided by the local police – now starts and ends its patrol outside Gibney's apartment, which he bought in January 2007 for $157,000. He has a 95% mortgage with Bank of America for $150,253 over a 40-year term.
He has had several jobs, mainly in accounting, but is believed to be currently unemployed. He has been fired by some of his employers when they found out about his past in Ireland.
Prior to his neighbours finding out about his history, he kept to himself, only telling people he spent all his spare time "busy at his church".
Last week, Orange City locals reported that Gibney had not been seen at all during the day. "He had rosary beads hanging up in his car. He's taken them down now and parks his car on another street," Daly said. "Some locals have egged his car and said things to him when they bumped into him, but he's been keeping a low profile this week. We don't know where he spends his days."
Gibney is closely associated with the local Church of the Annunciation, which last week said he was no longer permitted to volunteer with them. He is also heavily involved with another Catholic organisation, the Knights of Columbanus. It was unavailable for comment when contacted but has been made aware of Gibney's past.
"Church organisations are the perfect place for paedophiles to look for protection. We believe he is being shielded and helped by powerful people," said Daly. "Hopefully his time is running out."
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