ABUSE PROBE CHIEF’S FURY OVER TV LEAK
BY KEITH McLEOD THE chairman of the independent review into historical child sex abuse in football has said he is “hugely disappointed” over a leak from a Channel 4 report on child sex abuse at Celtic Boys’ Club.
Martin Henry, who heads the probe commissioned by the Scottish Football Association, has issued a personal statement in response to newspaper reports about the TV programme.
The row centres on whether he indicated that Celtic FC should be held liable for compensation for victims of decades of abuse at Celtic Boys’ Club.
Comments attributed to Henry had him quoted as saying: “We as a society need to recompense everyone who has been harmed in this way.”
But in a statement released yesterday on the SFA website, Henry said: “I am hugely disappointed that, following an interview with Channel 4 updating on the significant work undertaken by the review team, I am compelled to clarify any uncertainty that has arisen from reports this morning.
“Neither in the Channel 4 interview nor in the as yet unpublished final report is there any reference to liability on any clubs. This is not within the terms of reference the review team have been working to.”
He added: “On the specific reference to Celtic FC, one of many clubs referenced in the final report, the review in actual fact states clearly that the club have gone to great lengths to address any past contacts between the club and Celtic Boys’ Club – and have done so effectively.”
The SFA said “personal views expressed are not in the scope of the review’s terms of reference, nor are they endorsed by the SFA”.
On the Channel 4 News report, Henry said he believes Celtic FC has an “inescapable” obligation to accept responsibility for the crimes of Celtic Boys’ Club coaches, which has seen four of them convicted for vile abuse.
Celtic FC maintain they are a “separate entity” from the now defunct boys’ club but have expressed their “great sympathy for those who suffered abuse”.
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