Gibney accused of multiple counts of sexual abuse
George Gibney, the former Irish Olympic swimming coach, is facing renewed calls for his extradition from the U.S. to face charges of historical sexual abuse. Gibney, who is now in his 70s, left Ireland in 1994 after he secured a judicial review halting his prosecution on 27 counts of indecency and having carnal knowledge of girls under the age of 15. He was the coach at Trojan swimming club in Dublin and a former Irish national swimming coach.
Gibney has been living in the U.S. for almost 30 years, despite being accused of sexually and psychologically abusing some of his former swimmers over the course of at least 25 years. He first moved to Scotland to train young swimmers there before moving on to California, where he worked as a swimming instructor and a youth sports consultant. He currently resides in Altamonte Springs, Florida.
Gardaí submit file to DPP for possible prosecution
Gardaí have recently submitted a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in relation to historical allegations of sexual abuse against Gibney. A specialist team within the Garda National Protective Services Bureau has been investigating the allegations for the past three years and has recommended that Gibney face more than 50 charges. A number of new victims have come forward and made statements alleging they had been sexually abused by Gibney in Ireland and abroad.
Gardaí have also made contact with U.S. law enforcement authorities over the location of Gibney so that they can “move quickly” should criminal charges be directed against him. If the DPP decides that Gibney should face trial, it is open to them to seek his extradition from the U.S. under the bilateral extradition treaty between the two countries.
Victims and campaigners seek justice and accountability
The victims and campaigners of Gibney’s alleged abuse have been seeking justice and accountability for decades. They have been supported by various politicians, journalists, and activists who have raised awareness and pressure on the authorities to act on the case. In 2018, the former Irish TD Maureen O’Sullivan wrote to the U.S. congresswoman Jackie Speier and the U.S. senator Dianne Feinstein, pointing out that Gibney had been the subject of a new allegation by a 17-year-old Irish swimmer, who claimed to have been raped by him in Florida in 1991. O’Sullivan asked her American counterparts to take an interest in Gibney’s presence in the U.S. and to consider deporting him.
The case of Gibney has also been the subject of a BBC podcast series, “Where is George Gibney?”, which was released in 2020 and featured interviews with some of his victims and investigators. The podcast, which was produced by Second Captains and BBC Sounds, sparked renewed public interest and outrage over the case and prompted more people to come forward with their stories.
The victims and campaigners hope that the latest development in the case will finally lead to Gibney facing justice and that the truth will be revealed about his actions and the cover-ups that allowed him to evade prosecution for so long.
