Football child sex abuse toll surges to 350
A STAGGERING 350 victims have come forward to report child sex abuse within football, police revealed yesterday.
The scale of the scandal escalated as it emerged that 16 police forces are investigating.
Ex-Newcastle United striker David Eatock became the latest former player to waive his right to anonymity to reveal his ordeal.
Eatock, 40, told how he suffered for three years from the age of 18 at the hands of paedophile coach George Ormond. He was jailed for six years in 2002 for assaulting seven boys.
The cases were not connected to Eatock. The player, who signed for Newcastle when Kevin Keegan was manager in 1995, has filed a complaint with police.
The NSPCC children’s charity hotline set up for victims had 860 calls in its first week. In three days of phones being open, more than 60 referrals were sent to child protection agencies – three times the figure when the Jimmy Savile scandal erupted in 2012.
Gareth Southgate, England’s new manager revealed one of the footballers who claimed he was sexually abused as a young player was a teammate. Speaking after his appointment, he told a news conference: “I played with one of the players who has recently come forward.
“The reality of that, as they have said, is that they haven’t felt able to speak about that until this moment, and that’s completely understandable.”
The National Police Chiefs’ Council was still “collating information” yesterday.
Norfolk Chief Constable Simon Bailey, who deals with child protection for the NPCC, said: “We’re working closely with the Football Association to ensure that the response to this growing number of victims is co-ordinated.”
Derbyshire, Warwickshire, Avon and Somerset, Essex and Norfolk Police are the latest to confirm that they are investigating. Ten suspects have been identified.
The Football Association is carrying out its own internal inquiry.
FA boss Martin Glenn promised the independent review would look into reports that some clubs may have paid “hush money” to victims.