Football sex abuse in Scotland: Nearly 300 crimes found

[ian1964 10,563]

Police Scotland have said 298 crimes have been recorded, so far, in their investigation into football-related sexual abuse.

 

The investigation, which was launched in November 2016, has received 167 reports of historical abuse.Officers have identified 153 victims of abuse and 13 people have been arrested and charged.

 

A senior officer investigating the abuse said the "courage" of those coming forward was appreciated.Police Scotland said it had contacted everyone who has reported abuse or provided information.

 

The Scottish Football Association has set up an independent review tasked with examining child protection "processes and procedures" in place both currently and historically in Scottish football.

 

Reporting abuse

 

Det Ch Insp Sarah Taylor said: "While the single investigation into those named during our inquiries has concluded, we appreciate how difficult it can be to report abuse. "We want to thank everyone who came forward and reported, we understand the courage it took and how difficult this must have been.

 

"Our assurance to anyone who has not felt able to report during this time is that if they wish to report in the future, we will listen; we will investigate regardless of where or when the abuse occurred, and we will take prompt action to ensure that no-one else is at risk of harm."

 

She stressed the police would look into all information provided to them, adding: "Investigations of this nature are highly complex."Police Scotland has dedicated, highly-trained and specialised officers, who work closely with other agencies to ensure that support and advocacy services are available to meet individual needs, during investigation.

 

"We would ask anyone who has concerns or information about any person who may pose a risk to children or who may have abused a child to contact Police Scotland."

Scotland's Children and Young People's Commissioner, Tam Baillie, said the key thing to recognise was the "power imbalance" between the football clubs and the children involved.

 

'Voices not being heard'

 

He told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: "The children have got dreams of being football players, the clubs are their access to those dreams and that really creates a very big power imbalance."There has to be acknowledgement of that. There also has to be acknowledgement about how people who seek to abuse children look out for power imbalance; children not being listened to, their voices not being heard, silence of victims."And when you've got those circumstances combined with unsupervised access, they are the very circumstances that abusers seek to exploit in terms of harming children."

 

He added: "The vast majority of people involved in football are there for good reasons. They are there because they want to nurture talent; they are there because they want to give freely of their time.

 

"The key thing is to make sure we have processes and systems in place that can identify when people would choose to exploit that."My call is for the governing bodies (the SFA and the SPFL) to take the power imbalance much more seriously and demonstrate that they will listen to children and respect children's rights.

 

"And that, if there are things that children feel uncomfortable with or are not right, they are confident of raising this, it will get heard and something will be acted upon."

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-42104530

[compo 6,466]

Would be nice if the police got a move on before some of them die and deny some kind of justice to the victims .

[Uilleam 5,618]

The pace at which the police will operate may be determined by where, and by whom, the alleged abuse was perpetrated.

[calscot 0]

I think what has to be remembered here is that the football clubs themselves cannot always be held responsible for the actions of a sicko who hid it well. Clubs are only guilty if they are obviously negligent or deviously complicit.

 

I'm sure that Celtic fans want to find as much going on at other clubs to exonerate themselves when their club is actually fully guilty of the latter. I think they will do their best to shine the spot-light in our direction.

[RANGERRAB 3,385]

I think what has to be remembered here is that the football clubs themselves cannot always be held responsible for the actions of a sicko who hid it well. Clubs are only guilty if they are obviously negligent or deviously complicit.

 

I'm sure that Celtic fans want to find as much going on at other clubs to exonerate themselves when their club is actually fully guilty of the latter. I think they will do their best to shine the spot-light in our direction.

 

They can try all they like.

 

It's not so much the abuse clubs need to worry about but whether any of them tried to cover it up. One club certainly appears to have done so.

[colinstein 294]

They can try all they like.

 

It's not so much the abuse clubs need to worry about but whether any of them tried to cover it up. One club certainly appears to have done so.

 

He (witness Hugh Birt) told how he took the allegations against Torbett to the Celtic board and Stein and even told the then vice-chairman, Kevin Kelly, about them at a meeting…… I was told by Jock Stein to keep the name of Celtic Football Club clean at all times." Daily Record 11/7/1998

"Kevin Kelly (former Celtic Chairman), still honorary president of the (Celtic) boys' club, is a fellow director of Torbett's company The Trophy Centre, and current board member Jack McGinn is an employee……it is not clear why a man widely regarded as a child abuser was allowed back into a position of responsibility at the boys' club." Scotland on Sunday 18/8/1996

[Gonzo79 14,143]

They can try all they like.

 

It's not so much the abuse clubs need to worry about but whether any of them tried to cover it up. One club certainly appears to have done so.

 

Stein was involved in the cover up. Celtc fans worship him.

 

That says all you need to know about that scummy boil on Scottish football's bottom.

[colinstein 294]

Stein was involved in the cover up. Celtc fans worship him.

 

That says all you need to know about that scummy boil on Scottish football's bottom.

 

Stein was wrong but there was a different attitude about covering things up at the time

He was an absolutely outstanding manager who achieved the holy grail......

[RANGERRAB 3,385]

Stein was wrong but there was a different attitude about covering things up at the time

He was an absolutely outstanding manager who achieved the holy grail......

 

But his reputation has been tarnished by all of this.

 

As I've said earlier if a club knowingly covered up child abuse the SFA has to get involved. The criminality is for the authorities.

[boabie 230]

Stein was wrong but there was a different attitude about covering things up at the time

He was an absolutely outstanding manager who achieved the holy grail......

 

That he was an outstanding manager is not the point colin. What was going on at that club was as much of a crime back then as it is nowadays. Only the manner of reporting the crime has changed. All he had to do was pick up a phone or hand a guy his P45.

Stein was part of a massive cover-up and did the same as the rest of them, nothing.