Waterford sports coach freed in abuse inquiry

Gardaí are to prepare a file for the DPP after this morning releasing without charge a sports coach arrested for questioning about the sexual abuse of 30 boys in Waterford in the 1970s and 1980s.

The man was arrested at his home in Waterford city at 8am yesterday and brought to Waterford Garda station in Ballybricken for questioning.

The man was arrested under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows gardaí detain suspects for up to 24 hours before being either released or charged. He was released without charge at around 1.30am this morning and gardai will now prepare a file on the matter for the DPP, a Garda spokesman confirmed.

Yesterday’s arrest came after gardaí confirmed on Wednesday that 12 men had made formal statements of complaint that they were abused by the man as teenagers.

Another two men have come forward since then and made complaints that they too were abused by the man when they were teenagers in Waterford.

Gardaí have contacted more than 30 men and 20 of these are further considering whether to come forward and make formal statements about the coach.

The Garda investigation was triggered after a man in his 40s contacted gardaí in November and reported that he had been abused by the sports coach from the age of 14 until he was 17.