Accies’ child protection procedures are ‘robust’
Ex-player tells of ordeal in the eighties
Hamilton Accies this week insisted that the club has stringent child protection policies in place, after a man claimed he was abused by a physio as a teen.
The former youth player says he was 17 when John Hart (below) sexually assaulted him twice during treatment for a leg injury in 1988. He claims he confided in his parents who reported the incidents to the club, but nothing was ever done about it. The former player, now in his 40s, gave a statement to police about the attacks last week. The man, who quit football after the abuse, said he left the Hamilton club after feeling ignored.
A club spokesman said it would cooperate with investigations and insisted polices were now in place.
He said:“the current owners, who bought the club in 2002, have in place child protection policies and procedures which are among the most robust in Scotland.”
Hamilton Accies this week insisted that the club has stringent child-protection policies in place after a former youth player claimed he was abused by a physio.
The man says he was 17 when John Hart sexually assaulted him twice during treatment for a leg injury in 1988.
He claims he confided in his dad and his parents reported the incidents to the club but nothing was ever done about it.
The former player, who is now in his 40s and does not want to be named, gave a statement to police about the attacks last week.
The man, who quit the game after the abuse, said he left Accies after feeling he had been ignored.
He said: “I signed schoolboy forms with Accies in the mid-80s but suffered a really bad hamstring injury.
“The incidents with Hart happened in the summer of 1988 and we reported it that year. They said they would deal with it but I never heard anything.
“It happened on two occasions. Hart gave me a massage and said, ‘This is what I need to do with the big boys.’
“He said the injury was near the muscle at the pelvic region and he would need to get me to ejaculate.
“He tried to touch my privates but I managed to rebuff him – so he just started touching himself.
“I said to myself I would never go back but the coach called me and said the physio had asked when I’d be back for treatment.
“It happened again. Hart tried to make me touch him and he then touched himself.
“After it happened, I got my clothes and went to the local parks where the reserves and first team trained but the coaches had left. That night, I told my dad what happened.
“I told officials everything that happened. But no one got back to me. I just thought it was part of the culture – things were swept under the carpet.
“The only other time it was mentioned was in 1995 when my dad said to me that he’d seen in the paper that Hart had died.”
Accies have acknowledged Hart worked with them in the 1980s. He was included in the official team photo for the 1988-89 season – but was replaced the following year.
A club spokesman said: “The current owners, who bought the club in 2002, have in place child-protection policies and procedures which are among the most robust in Scotland.
“The club has extensive policies in place to protect children and vulnerable adults within our Academy and Community programme, and we have a trained and dedicated Child Protection Officer in place as direct line of contact as part of this policy. “We will fully assist the police and authorities as required in any historical enquiries.” The club’s childprotection policy, available to view on its website, includes information and guidance covering sexual abuse, as well as emotional abuse, physical injury, neglect, bullying, racism and harassment. It details the roles and responsibilities of those involved in its child protection, and the stringent checks in place including working with Disclosure Scotland.
Police Scotland have confirmed they are investigating 109 claims of child sex abuse within football.
An NSPCC hotline set up to deal with claims of youngsters being abused in football has received more than 1700 calls since it was set up last month.
Matt Forde, national head of service for NSPCC Scotland, said: “It’s vital that victims feel safe to come forward and that all allegations of abuse in football in Scotland are thoroughly investigated.
“The number of cases highlighted so far reveal the deeply disturbing extent of abuse that has been going on within football.”
The dedicated hotline can be called on 0800 023 2642.
Hart tried to make me touch him and then touched himself