Victims’ courage has to be admired

SPEAKING to a victim of football’s sex-abuse scandal this week, a desperate story came out. Of a coach who used football as a vehicle to obtain the trust of teenagers via acts of calculated kindness and generosity — while identifying the weakest kid in the group as his next prey. Some victims had no option but to co-exist in the same close-knit communities as their abusers. Keeping quiet for decades for fear of the consequences. For fathers and grandfathers with no desire to expose their families to the trauma of public exposure or a showcase trial, reliving their experience from a witness box holds no appeal. Sometimes it is easier to live with their demons. But Operation Hydrant has finally offered victims of historic sex abuse a voice. The courage of those willing to stand up and expose British football’s secret shame is outstanding.