Young footballers ‘still face threat of sex abuse’

SCOTTISH football must overhaul its child protection policies to prevent cases of sexual abuse, a report has found.

An independent review has concluded there are still gaps in the system which leave youngsters vulnerable to abuse at clubs across the country.

The review was commissioned by the Scottish Football Association (SFA) two years ago after multiple allegations of historical abuse spanning decades.

Led by former children’s charity executive Martin Henry, it has today published a number of interim findings suggesting child protection measures within the sport must improve drastically.

According to BBC Scotland, the findings include ‘gaps in the system’ which leave children at risk, a shortfall of money and resources at football clubs to tackle the issue, and a need for clubs to accept greater responsibility for their youth clubs. It also recommends that the SFA appoints a dedicated board member responsible for safeguarding issues across the sport.

The report cannot be published in full until legal proceedings, in some cases relating to the report, have been concluded.

As of November 2017, a total of 298 criminal cases linked to sexual abuse in Scottish football had been recorded with Police Scotland.

The review was ordered in November 2016 after several former players came forward to say they were abused by people in authority at football clubs.

Police Scotland is the main investigatory authority into allegations of abuse, while the review is dedicated to identifying weaknesses in the system which leave youngsters vulnerable.

The SFA said it commissioned the review because it wanted to reassure people that football remained a ‘safe and enjoyable environment for children’.

It said the review would focus on the ‘processes and procedures’ in place, both currently and historically in Scottish football, in order to improve the safety of youngsters. Officers have identified 153 abuse victims and charged 13 people since the inquiry was launched.

The report’s findings come just months after the QC leading the English Football Association’s independent inquiry into child sexual abuse in the game said he was prepared to launch his own investigation into clubs at the centre of the scandal if he finds they did not respond adequately to his requests for information.

Clive Sheldon, QC, has given some of the dozen clubs thought to be the main focus of his review a month to produce a ‘structured report’ detailing how they reacted to allegations of abuse suffered by former players between 1970 and 2005.

The inquiry began in December 2016 after Andy Woodward revealed he was abused by Barry Bennell at Crewe Alexandra, sparking what FA chairman Greg Clarke called the biggest crisis he can remember in the sport.

Bennell, who also coached at Manchester City, was jailed for 30 years last month for 50 offences of child sexual abuse relating to 12 junior players, aged eight to 14, between 1979 and 1990.

The inquiry has been delayed by how long it has taken Mr Sheldon’s team to sift through the FA’s legal files. He is expected to publish his findings early next year.

‘Shortfall of club resources’