Ex-Whitecaps women's coach charged with sexual offences
Bob Birarda, the former coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps women's team who was the subject of several complaints by former soccer players, has been charged with a series of sexual offences.
According to the B.C. Prosecution Service, the alleged offences took place over 20 years, from Jan. 1, 1988 to March 25, 2008 “at or near North Vancouver, Burnaby and West Vancouver.”
Birarda has been charged with six counts of sexual exploitation, two counts of sexual assault and one count of child luring. The charges cover alleged offences against four people.
Birarda made his first appearance at North Vancouver provincial court on Wednesday and was ordered released on bail by Judge Lyndsay Smith. Birarda's next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 28.
Publication bans have been issued under sections 517 — a temporary ban on reporting details at the bail hearing — and 486.4 of the Criminal Code. The latter protects the identities of the complainants.
Birarda coached the Whitecaps women from 2006 to 2008. The team was disbanded in 2012. He was also coach of the Canadian U-20 women's team around the same time, as well as assistant coach on the 2008 Olympic team.
He also coached a local girls youth team in recent years. Asked for comment, Coastal FC responded: “He hasn't been a coach with us since his initial suspension. That team he did coach also graduated more than a 1½ years ago, so there has been no interaction for quite a while.”
In February 2019, former women's team player Ciara McCormack made public criticism of how the team had handled complaints about the coaching staff in 2007 and 2008. Thirteen former players from the women's team posted complaints about Birarda online in April 2019.
McCormack told Postmedia on Thursday she didn't think charges would ever be laid against Birarda.
“Very emotional. Surprised. I didn't know it was coming. It's been a very, very long road to get to this point,” she said after learning her former coach had been charged.
“I'm grateful, I'm happy for the other women that came forward (with allegations).”
McCormack and her former teammates tried to come forward and tell people “29 or 30 times in the 11 years before my blog.” It wasn't until they began to speak publicly that they started to think maybe change might happen.
“I had zero faith in the system. It's all been on us. To actually see something function properly, it's a relief,” she said of charges being laid. “I've gone from like a negative-10 to a minus-1 in my faith in the system. I hope it continues to prove me wrong.”
McCormack said the support Whitecaps fans showed for them in 2019 by repeatedly walking out of the stands during games, leaving behind a silent south end at B.C. Place Stadium, had meant a lot to the players who ended up speaking to police.
“I think, at the end of the day, this has come because the fans walked out. They amplified the story,” she said. "(They) wouldn't have come forward without a safe space and the fans walking out created that. The credit goes to the fans for what they did. A huge thank you to everybody who stepped up.”
After a series of walkouts, the Whitecaps' owners apologized for previous responses to the complaints in May 2019 and the team then hired an outside investigator to review the team's handling of the complaints.
The report was released in December 2019 and downplayed the notion of wrongdoing by the team's leadership in handling the complaints. But it also said they hadn't been transparent enough with the players after Birarda was dismissed from the team in 2008, nor did they make efforts to ensure the coach had adhered to a code of conduct that had been imposed by the team.
Whitecaps chief executive officer and sporting director Axel Schuster responded to the news in an emailed statement, acknowledging the team had been co-operating with the investigation, but had no information on the charges beyond what was publicly available.
“First and foremost, our thoughts are with the brave women who have come forward and the victims affected,” he said. “At this time, our primary focus is to respect and protect the interests of these individuals and the integrity of the court process. Their pain and suffering is real and something we care deeply about.
“Today's developments have reinforced the harm that he brought to women in our program during
that time. We should have been better, and for that we are sorry. We maintain our commitment to the Safe Sport process we began last year to fulfil our responsibilities and do everything possible, so this never happens again. We strongly encourage all involved with sport across Canada to do the same.”
The Canadian Soccer Association did not respond to a request for comment.
Under the terms of his bail imposed by the judge, Birarda is to report to a bail supervisor and provide them with an address and phone number, which he may not change without permission. He is required to keep the peace and be of good behaviour and not possess any weapons or firearms.
He is not to have any contact with four specific individuals, nor attend any place of work, school or where the individuals worship — and if he happens to see them, he must leave.
Birarda can't attend public parks, public swimming areas, community centres, theatres or soccer fields where persons under the age of 18 are present. There are some exceptions to that condition, where there is prior written permission from the bail supervisor. He can also be in those locations in the immediate presence of another adult approved of in advance by the bail supervisor.
He's not to have any contact or communication, directly or indirectly, or be in the presence of any person under the age of 18 years, except with the previous exceptions.
And Birarda must not engage in coaching or related activities, volunteer work or employment that could bring him in contact with persons under the age of 18.