Questions that will be answered by independent review into child abuse
Hthe FA today releases a report that addresses key issues around game’s worst scandal and the response to it
Was there a paedophile ring in English football?
The tidal wave of tales of abuse that triggered the review gave rise to suspicions a paedophile ring could have operated in the game. Serial offender Barry Bennell and the now-deceased Frank Roper, who abused former England striker Paul Stewart, ran youth side Manchester Senrab together.
Bennell and Bob Higgins, the former Southampton coach, were also photographed together in the 1980s at a parade of UK junior teams. And there have been allegations that suspected predator Kit Carson, who was killed in a car crash on the day he was due to face trial, also had links to Bennell and Higgins. However, The Daily Telegraph has been told the review will confirm no evidence was found of paedophiles operating together.
Was abuse covered up?
The Telegraph has also been told the review found no evidence of a highlevel cover-up within the game akin to the scandals involving the Catholic Church. However, the report is said to be critical of those who did not blow the whistle on accusations of abuse, particularly those who did not report them to the police. Survivors have claimed such conduct was tantamount to a cover-up.
The review has examined accusations that Dario Gradi, the former Crewe Alexandra manager and director of football, and nowdeceased former England manager Graham Taylor covered up abuse.
Gradi has denied doing so, but another Qc-led review, commissioned by Chelsea, found in 2019 that he had missed an opportunity, while assistant coach at Stamford Bridge, to prevent abuse committed by serial offender Eddie Heath after the way he handled a complaint about the club’s former chief scout.
If the latest review does not uphold that finding, it could cause a major backlash.
What was the scale of the problem?
The review is expected to cite the most recent figures from March 2018, which state that more than 2,800 referrals had been made to the police about abuse in football. The indicative number of victims at that stage stood at almost 850, 95 per cent of which were male and the age range for which was between four and 20. There were 300 alleged suspects identified and 340 football clubs impacted.
Should more have been done to stop the abuse?
The review is said to have found the Football Association was slow to combat the problem upon becoming aware of the potential scale of it. Clubs are also said to have been found wanting in their response to abuse accusations, although partly as a result of inadequate safeguarding policies throughout football and other sports at the time.
What punishment will those who fell short face?
The review team were tasked with referring any breach of football’s rules to the FA. However, given that rules on mandatory reporting of abuse did not exist for most of the period the review was tasked with covering – the 1970s to mid-2000s – it is unlikely any action will be taken. Controversially, there is still no legal requirement for abuse – or any crime – to be reported to the police. Survivors have already been taking civil action against clubs over the abuse they suffered, with many having been awarded compensation. Those cases are continuing.
Are there adequate measures in place today to stop abuse?
Although the review focuses almost exclusively on historic abuse cases, the terms of reference do allow recommendations to be made based on its findings. And while football’s current safeguarding processes are far more robust than in previous decades, the review is said to have identified areas for improvement, including training for parents to help stop their children being groomed and abused. There are said to be about a dozen other recommendations.
Arsenal striker Pierre-emerick Aubameyang, who was dropped to the bench for Sunday’s 2-1 derby win over Tottenham after arriving late for the pre-match get-together, is all smiles during training ahead of tomorrow’s Europa League clash with Olympiacos