Former Olympic swimming coach George Gibney appears in US court and may face more than 50 charges
Former Olympic swimming coach George Gibney has appeared before a US court in relation to more than 50 charges, including some for alleged indecent assault.
He was arrested in Florida on foot an extradition request from gardaí who have been investigating him for alleged child abuse.
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The Journal
3 hours ago
- The Journal
Former Irish Olympic swimming coach George Gibney to appear before Florida court next week
FORMER IRISH OLYMPIC swimming coach George Gibney will appear before a Florida court in the US next week, following his arrest last night. Gardaí have been investigating fresh allegations that Gibney sexually abused multiple children in his care while working as a swimming coach in Ireland decades ago. He was arrested by US Marshals on foot of an Irish extradition warrant yesterday. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the arrest shows the importance of judicial cooperation with the United States this morning. He paid tribute to gardaí for diligent police work. A specialist unit within the Garda National Protective Services Bureau launched a detailed inquiry after a garda probe was reopened in 2020 when several people made allegations on a BBC and Second Captains podcast titled 'Where is George Gibney?' . Speaking to reporters during a trade mission to Japan, Martin said: 'I think we all listened to the podcast. I think it's important that we have an agreement with the US – gardaí have been working very diligently and in a detailed way, I have no doubt. 'We will await the next step now,' he added. After a three-year investigation, a file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who recommended charging Gibney. Gardaí said that they are aware of the arrest of a male aged in his 70s in the United States on the foot of an international warrant. Advertisement 'As this is currently a matter for the US authorities, An Garda Síochána will not be commenting further at this time,' a spokesperson said. Gibney was the founder of the Trojan Swimming Club in Blackrock in Dublin, where he also worked as a coach. He was also the Irish national swimming coach until 1991. Now aged in his 70s, he was previously charged with 27 sexual offences in 1993, which were dropped in 1994 after Gibney a High Court injunction, preventing the DPP from prosecuting him. Gibney then left Ireland for Scotland, where he continued to work as a swimming coach. He has lived in the United States since 1995. In 1997, a garda investigation into Gibney was opened after fresh allegations were made against him. A probe was reopened in 2020 following the BBC and Second Captains' ten-part investigative podcast series. The series centred on the survivors of sexual abuse by Gibney and gardaí commenced a new investigation after its publication. A number of alleged victims came forward following an appeal was issued for people with any information to come forward. The DPP would be free to seek Gibney's extradition from the US if it were to proceed with charges. With reporting by Andrew Walsh and Christina Finn in Japan Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Sunday World
3 hours ago
- Sunday World
Ex-Olympic swim coach George Gibney appears in US court ‘facing in excess of 50 charges'
He was arrested in Florida on foot of an extradition request from gardaí who have been investigating him for alleged child abuse Former Olympic swimming coach George Gibney has appeared before a US court in relation to more than 50 charges, including some for alleged indecent assault. He was arrested in Florida on foot of an extradition request from gardaí who have been investigating him for alleged child abuse. Sources said he is facing in excess of 50 charges and many of those will relate to alleged indecent assault. He was arrested at a residence in the US state. It is understood he has been remanded in custody. His arrest comes three decades after he successfully challenged previous attempt to prosecute him for alleged child sexual abuse and subsequently fled to the US. Gibney, who is now his in seventies, was subjected to a new investigation by the garda's specialist Sexual Crime Management team after a BBC podcast led to a string of fresh complaints, many dating back decades. Gardaí submitted a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions in late 2023, highlighting at least 50 allegations of abuse. The DPP directed that Gibney should be charged. Gardaí requested his extradition from the US State Department late last year, it is understood, in a protracted process involving significant paperwork that has only now concluded. US authorities notified gardaí of Gibney's arrest this evening. It is expected that he will appear in court imminently. Gibney was previously tracked down to a bungalow in Orlando, Florida, by the podcast Where is George Gibney. It appeared he was living far away from the storm over sexual abuse allegations that the BBC production had re-opened. But when confronted by the makers of the podcast, he declined to answer questions about alleged sexual abuse. Gibney coached children with the Trojan swimming club in Dublin in the 1980s and the 1980s. He was a high-profile sports figure who regularly appeared in Irish media, until he was exposed for allegedly sexually abusing children. He appeared before Dún Laoghaire District Court in April 1993 charged with 27 counts of indecency against young swimmers and of having carnal knowledge of girls under the age of 15. George Gibney relocated to Florida Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 2nd The prosecution was halted after he successfully took a judicial review arguing that the delay in the offences coming to court would deny him a fair trial and also highlighting the lack of precision around specific alleged incidents. The Supreme Court found in Gibney's favour, after which Gibney moved to Scotland and later to the US. He continued to coach children in the US, working for a swimming club in Colorado but he lost his job after details of his past allegations in Dublin emerged. He stayed in the US and worked in various non-swimming related roles. His extradition will be welcomed by the many former swimmers who came forward with their experiences to gardaí after the BBC podcast placed Gibney under renewed scrutiny.
Extra.ie
4 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Ex-swimming coach George Gibney arrested in US on foot of extradition warrant
Wanted Irish swim coach George Gibney has been arrested in the US on foot of an Irish extradition warrant. The former Irish national swimming coach, who is in his 70s, is wanted here to face over 50 sex abuse charges. US marshals arrested Gibney in Florida yesterday afternoon. He will be detained there and brought to court, where a judge will decide whether or not he should be extradited to Ireland. Allegations regarding Gibney resurfaced following a BBC podcast released more than five years ago. The Garda National Protective Services Bureau has been working on a case since. After compiling a file, the DPP recommended he be charged with more than 50 historical sexual abuse offences. George Gibney. Pic: Eamonn Farrell/ Gibney had since left for the United States, leading gardaí to work with police forces there in a bid to secure his arrest. Gibney served as an Olympic swimming coach in Dublin during the 1980s and 1990s, but he stepped back from the sport following a host of allegations of sexual abuse levelled against him by both male and female swimmers. Gary O'Toole, one of Gibney's most successful swimming pupils, was the first whistleblower against his former coach, having communicated with other alleged victims. Another case was taken against Gibney in Ireland, but the prosecution failed due in part to the time that had elapsed since the alleged abuse. George Gibney. Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland Gibney subsequently left the country. He appeared before Dún Laoghaire District Court in April 1993, charged with 27 counts of indecency against young swimmers. He was also charged with 'having carnal knowledge' of girls under the age of 15. He managed to stop the prosecution by taking a judicial review, where his legal team argued there was a delay in the offences coming to court. The case eventually ended up in the Supreme Court, which ruled in Gibney's favour. It was then that he left for the US. The US authorities told Garda HQ yesterday they had taken the former swim coach into custody. Assistant Commissioner in 2020, the late John O'Driscoll, confirmed at the time that An Garda Síochána were investigating allegations of historic sexual abuse made against Mr Gibney. BBC Sounds and Second Captains broadcast a podcast series, Where Is George Gibney?, which included many alleged victims coming forward to deliver harrowing testimonies about alleged abuse. This included 18 new people who had never spoken publicly about the alleged abuse before. Podcast creator Mark Horgan told RTÉ that perpetrators of abuse want stories to remain in the dark, 'so when we started, it was just to get as many people as possible to learn about stories of George Gibney and for survivors to have their voices heard'.
