Phillip Perks: Scout leader took own life after sex abuse claims

Phillip Perks led Les Pugh's Own Explorer Scout Unit in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, for 20 years

A scout leader took his own life days after being accused of sexually assaulting two teenage girls, an inquest heard.

Phillip Perks' body was found in a Penarth and District Scouts (PADSAC) hut storage unit on March 14, 2022.

The 55-year-old, from Dinas Powys, Vale of Glamorgan, led Les Pugh's Own Explorer Scout Unit for two decades.

He died days after being released on bail by police.

The two alleged victims - now in their 30s - said the abuse happened when they were both 16 and scout members.

After Perks died, the women accused the Scouts of trying to silence them and raised concerns about the organisation's safeguarding procedures.

• Sexual abuse victim urges others to get support

• Child rapist Michael Stewart gets life sentence

• Murderer of paedophile jailed for minimum 20 years

They have since launched a civil claim against the Scouts.

South Wales Central Coroner's Court heard on Thursday that Perks - who went by the nickname Pinky - had been arrested at home on Saturday, 12 March.

After being questioned he returned home in the early hours of Sunday.

Phillip Perks' body was found at a storage unit belonging to Penarth and District Scouts

At about 09:30 GMT Perks left his address after speaking to his wife and daughter.

In a statement read to the court, his wife said prior to leaving the house her husband apologised to her but gave no sign he planned to harm himself.

Perks visited a fellow Scout leader's house to return equipment, documents and keys, telling him he was taking time away from scouting due to complaints against him.

His body was later discovered in the scout storage hut after his family filed a missing person report.

A toxicology report found no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of his death.

His sister, Julie Anne Perks, described her brother as a committed member of the Scouts who just two years before his death had received the organisation's highest award.

Coroner Patricia Morgan concluded Perks' cause of death was hanging and recorded a verdict of suicide.

His alleged victims claim that before going to police they reported the abuse twice to scout leaders, once in the mid-2000s and then in 2016.

Perks was kept on as a leader by Scouts Cymru until he was suspended days before his death.

A Scouts commissioner was suspended and is the subject of an internal investigation for "failure to report an incident within the given timescales", according to an email sent to volunteers of Cardiff and Vale Scouts.

The Scouts has previously said its "number one priority" was the safety of young people in its care.