MoD pays out more than £1m compensation to victims of Scots air cadet leader

The money has been paid to those abused by Ronald Hardman, who helped lead a squadron in Kilmarnock for more than 30 years.

More than £1.2m in compensation has been paid by the Ministry of Defence to former air cadets who were sexually abused by their officer.

Ronald Hardman served as former volunteer warrant officer with 327 (Kilmarnock) Squadron Air Training Corps, from 1960 to the late 1990s.

He was jailed in 2018 for abusing three teenagers and prosecuted again the following year at the High Court in Glasgow when he admitted abusing 12 boys.

Ronald Hardman

A third case against Hardman, who is now in his late 70s, is being considered by the Crown Office.

Now, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed it has paid a total of £1.22m to Hardman’s victims with payments made to fewer than 10 individuals.

A spokesman for the MOD said: “Our sponsored Cadet Forces take the safeguarding of their Cadets from all forms of abuse extremely seriously and have specialised staff dedicated to help protect their welfare.

"Volunteer staff at all levels have appropriate background checks, which are regularly reviewed, and are subject to additional security checks prior to contact with cadets. We actively encourage people to speak out if they are a victim of abuse or if they witness it.”

One of victim, who asked not to be named, said he believed the offences Hardman was convicted for were the “tip of the iceberg” with many more going unreported and many victims without the means to pursue compensation.

Hardman, a former heating engineer who left his role with the ATC in 1998, attacked boys in his care at different locations, including the squadron hall, a campsite and at Drumness Forest in Dumfries and Galloway.

Lord Beckett, during his sentencing in 2019, described the crimes as “pre-meditated” and “grossly corrupting” with prosecutors telling the court of the anxiety and trauma suffered by his victims.

During the 2019 case, the court heard Hardman would “groom and control” the young cadets before attempting to buy their silence by giving them money, sweets or takeaway meals.

One of his victims, who was 13 when he joined the ATC, was abused between 15 and 20 times with Hardman giving him a can of lager before telling him it would be “good” for his promotion through the ranks if he let him touch him.

Hardman’s behaviour was first reported to police in around 2004, according to accounts, with a BBC documentary later highlighting historical sex abuse in cadet forces.

More than 300 former cadets were spoken to by police officers during the course of their investigations.

During the 2019 prosecution, it was heard that one teenager was attacked by Hardman with the help of two other cadets during a trip away.

On another occasion, a boy was molested during a uniform fitting with Hardman showing cadets pornographic magazines and encouraged them to play strip poker or swim naked.

A spokesman for the Crown Office confirmed a further case against Hardman was being considered.

“The Procurator Fiscal received a report concerning a 77 year-old man in connection with alleged offences between January 1989 and September 1991. The case against him remains under consideration.”