55 clubs involved in child abuse
It started as the account of child abuse suffered by a former professional football player last month and has grown into one of the worst paedophile scandals we have known.
It seems to have grown on a daily basis and we have heard from former Spurs player Paul Stewart of his abuse. I recall Graham Rix being prosecuted. He was sentenced to a year in prison in March 1999 for having sex with a 15-year-old girl and served 6 months only to be immediately re-employed by Chelsea in his old job. And it is Chelsea who are once again at the heart of the latest scandal. They seem to be constantly involved in something. Remember Ashley Cole shooting a student at the Chelsea training ground in February 2011? That should have been a jail sentence.
The latest scandal keeps growing and a source at the National Police Chiefs' Council, which coordinates Operation Hydrant, the national police body investigating the abuse allegations, has revealed that 55 professional and non-league clubs are involved in investigations, have been referenced by players claiming they were abused.
Ppolice said on Thursday that about 350 victims had come forward to report sexual abuse.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) charity said that a helpline dedicated to the football abuse scandal had received 860 calls in its first week. They made 60 referrals to the Police or social services in the first 3 days after they were set up. That is three times as many who came forward in the Jimmy Savile case
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) charity said that a helpline dedicated to the football abuse scandal had received 860 calls in its first week. They made 60 referrals to the Police or social services in the first 3 days after they were set up. That is three times as many who came forward in the Jimmy Savile case
Peter Wanless, NSPCC chief executive confirmed they had received a staggering number of calls.
"We've had a staggering surge in calls to our football helpline which reveals the worrying extent of abuse that had been going on within the sport."
As usual the Football Association has tried to cast doubt on claims that some clubs had tried to cover-up allegations, even though Chelsea have been revealed to have done so.
"If the FA have made errors, we will own up to them as must the rest of football if avoidable errors have been made," Martin Glenn, the FA Chief Executive told reporters on Thursday.
"The only way that this gets dealt with is through openness and honesty and everyone exposing what has happened."
On Tuesday, Barry Bennell, 62, a former talent spotter at Crewe Alexandra and coach at Manchester City, was charged with eight historical sex offences against a 14-year-old boy. They included indecent assault, inciting a boy to commit an act of gross indecency and assault with intent to commit buggery.
Our own Paul Stewart was tearful when he spoke the BBC last week waiving his right to annoymity.
"My belief is that there's hundreds. The access to the children at sport level is very easy and it's perfect ground for (child abusers) to prey."
Theclubs have not been named and it is unlikely that the Police have got to the bottom of it all as yet so there may well be more to come. It is devastating to happen in our national sport where youngsters can't speak out for fear of ruining their football dream.
1 comment
Whatever it was that stopped them coming forward at the time whether it be fear, cowardice or something else, their inaction led to the abuse of further children, that won't be a popular opinion but if the first people that were abused had taken decisive action there would have been far less children abused.
I also question the validity of many of these claims, obviously there is no smoke without fire but we also have a band wagon problem with things like this and fake claims are often made so the accuser can get some media attention.... Anyone taking money for their story should be looked at with suspicion.
This country has got serious problems with child abuse and the authorities covering it up and those problems are only going to get worse when we invite people from countries with an ideology that allows child abuse (and doesn't even classify it as abuse in the first place) to live here, worrying times ahead!