Football chiefs ‘turned blind eye to Bennell sex abuse’
The sport of football puts its own needs before those of children targeted by predatory paedophile coach Barry Bennell, one of his victims said.
Ex-Crewe Alexandra player Steve Walters accused the game’s authorities of turning a blind eye to the grooming by Bennell of hundreds of young footballers “in plain view” and that a “culture of complacency and cover up was allowed to take root”.
Former Crewe coach and Manchester City scout Bennell, 64, faces a lengthy jail sentence for abusing 12 boys following his latest convictions at Liverpool Crown Court for 50 child sexual offences between 1979 and 1991.
One of Bennell’s other victims, who he had pleaded guilty to abusing in 1998, told the court he knew of four men who had been coached by Bennell, including former Wales manager Gary Speed, who had gone on to take their own lives.
But in a statement last night, Speed’s family revealed their son had been interviewed twice by police in relation to Bennell.
“On both occasions Gary made it quite clear that he did not know anything about Bennell’s alleged behaviour and also made it clear that Bennell had never behaved inappropriately towards him,” they said.
However, Bennell may have more than 100 victims in total as he could face further prosecution after an additional 86 complainants have come forward to say they too were abused by him.
Speaking outside court, Mr Walters, one of Bennell’s latest 12 victims, said: “For years, hundreds of us were groomed in plain view. Lavished with gifts and
designer sports kit and taken on trips all around the world. How can it be that no one realised something was wrong? How is it that no one protected us then? We suffered because of a disgusting predator but we also suffered sometimes because the sport we loved decided that the reputation of a coach, club or a sport was put above the protection of children.
“Our abuse is punctuated by the failure of adults to protect innocent children, the failure of adults to act when abuse was reported, the failure to be vigilant and brave. We suffered because of a culture of complacency and cover up (which) was allowed to take root.”
Joining Mr Walters in reading out emotional statements to the media was Micky Fallon, another victim of Bennell at Crewe, who said: “We were little boys with a dream and our innocence was shattered. Our dreams turned into the most horrendous nightmare.
“For decades that nightmare has haunted us. For decades we held our silence just like our abuser told us to.”
He added: “We are no longer afraid of you Barry Bennell.
“Today justice was done and you no longer have any power over us. You are nothing to us at all.”
Previous victim Andy Woodward, whose decision to speak out about Bennell led to the trial, said he was proud to have helped other victims get the justice they deserved.