Cancelled Garda 999 calls: Allegation of abuse should have been urgently investigated, review finds

 – Yesterday 15:37

An independent report into emergency calls has found that an allegation of sexual abuse against a child and their parent should have been ‘urgently investigated and not cancelled’.

Last year it emerged that thousands of calls were improperly closed in a 22-month period between 2019 and 2020 including those reporting violence against women and children.

The Policing Authority commissioned a report to look at the circumstances and responses to the cancellation of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) incidents.

In his interim update last November author Derek Penman made 13 recommendations, including that gardaí develop call-recording strategies for local stations.

A final update was published today in which he found that, overall, call-takers met the standards set but that in several incidents there were “substantial shortcomings in call handling”.

The findings are set to be discussed with the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris at a meeting of the Policing Authority this afternoon.

Mr Penman reviewed 83 sample cases from a “serious cohort” which had the potential to result in serious risk and 120 randomly selected incidents.

He found there no was serious harm directly identified in the samples analysed, but added it was not possible to determine this in cases where victims were not identified.

The expert found instances where call takers did not display sufficient skills or take time to assess the vulnerability of calls, particularly where there were language barriers, impairment or intoxication.

There were cases where a service could not be provided resulting in the potential for protection orders not being put in place, crimes not being investigated, and offenders escaping justice.

In one case reviewed a confidential third party relayed real-time information from a child that their parent was the victim of ongoing sexual abuse. It was also disclosed that the child had been abused by the same perpetrator.

Gardaí were immediately dispatched – but it transpired the address was incorrect and investigators were unable to identify the child or parent.

The call from the third-party had not been kept open and there was no opportunity to re-contact them. The incident was cancelled and no further investigation was carried out.

Mr Penman said that, “not withstanding this may have been a bogus call, the seriousness of the allegations and potential vulnerability of the child and parent should have ensured this CAD Incident was not cancelled, but instead passed for urgent investigation”.

He said it was “not possible to identify a victim, their parent or possible perpetrator and therefore impossible to determine whether a crime occurred or if there was any injury to the victim(s)”.

In another sample reviewed, a witness was reporting a serious alleged sexual assault but the call-taker did not take their contact details and they were not kept on the line to provide potentially valuable information.

When gardaí responded they couldn’t locate the crime scene or victim and weren’t able to follow-up with the caller.

The alleged victim never came forward to make a report and Mr Penman found there was no possibility to determine whether a crime occurred or if there was any injury to a victim.

In his final report he found there was “very limited” evidence of supervisory checks despite policies and procedures being in place that should have identified unwarranted cancelled incidents.

He also noted that the ageing CAD system and other legacy technologies are “indicative of a chronic lack of investment” but added that technology could not be deemed a significant contributory factor for calls being cancelled.

Mr Penman said that Gardaí should conclude the CAD review and that no further retrospective analysis should be taken. Instead, the force should focus its resources on improving current call handling arrangements.

The expert also recommended that there be an agreed framework to facilitate independent call listening and incident audits by the Authority, until the creation of the Policing and Community Safety Authority (PCSA).

Authority chair Bob Collins said the 999 emergency call service is a “crucial public service” that people rely on in a moment of crisis.

“It is essential that the Garda Síochána addresses the underlying issues identified in this report— issues including supervision, selection processes for specific roles, and performance management — so that the public can continue to have the confidence that it needs to have in the 999 emergency call service and will be assured of receiving the quality of service it deserves from its policing service,” he said.

“The Authority will continue to bring regular and rigorous oversight to this area.”