CELTIC PAY DAMAGES TO ABUSED EX-PLAYER
Club agrees settlement with former player assaulted by kitman convicted of sex crimes
CELTIC have paid ‘significant’ compensation to a former player who suffered sexual abuse by a coach at the club.
The current Scottish Premiership champions admitted liability for the historic abuse carried out by paedophile Jim McCafferty.
McCafferty, who worked for Celtic, Hibernian and Falkirk, was jailed for six years and nine months in May after admitting a series of historic crimes against teenage boys when he appeared at the High Court in edinburgh.
The 73-year-old had admitted ten charges of indecent assault and one charge of lewd and libidinous behaviour against boys aged between 13 and 19 – with some crimes dating back to 1972.
Police Scotland called the scale
of the abuse ‘unprecedented’. The former professional youth player raised a claim through the Personal Injury Court in Edinburgh, after his mental health was affected by abuse suffered during the 1990s.
The Scottish Daily Mail knows the identity of the player, who is now in his 30s, but he cannot be named for legal reasons.
While the exact sum to be paid has not been revealed, legal sources said based on previous payouts south of the Border it could be upwards of £100,000. Last night, the victim’s solicitor, Kim Leslie, confirmed Celtic had admitted liability for the abuse – all of which took place when McCafferty and the former player were full-time employees of the club. She said: ‘For decades, my client suffered as a result of McCafferty’s abuse, so above all else I’d like to pay tribute to him for the courage he has shown in stepping forwards.
‘Ever since McCafferty’s abuse was exposed, Celtic FC remained firm in its defence and denial of responsibility. However, after thorough investigations, I was able to present a robust case, which resulted in the club admitting liability. I hope the successful end to this legal action brings closure to my client and also brings hope to those who are considering a civil action of their own.’
Celtic bosses have expressed ‘regret and sorrow’ for other abuse claimants who played for Celtic Boys Club in the 1960s and 1970s, but have repeatedly distanced themselves from potential litigation by claiming their former feeder operation was an ‘entirely separate organisation’.
Boys Club founder Jim Torbett, coach Frank Cairney and former Boys Club chairman Gerald King have also been convicted for sex crimes against former players.
During the 1990s, however, McCafferty was a full-time employee of Celtic, working alongside first team and youth players when he abused his position of trust.
But as pressure grows on the club to accept legal liability for abuse that
‘The club admitted liability’
took place within the Boys Club, legal experts warn that ultimately the club could face multi-million pound compensation payouts.
Earlier this year, lawyer Patrick McGuire, who represented some victims, said: ‘We have intimated a large number of claims on behalf of survivors of all the four named paedophiles that operated under the guise of the wider Celtic umbrella.
‘We absolutely will be going to court, unless Celtic’s tack changes.’
The Parkhead club recently announced that its insurers had appointed a ‘wholly independent and experienced lawyer’ to investigate the sexual assault scandal.
Celtic declined to comment. In a recent statement, chief executive Peter Lawwell said: ‘We respect any claimants’ rights and our advisers will communicate with them and their representatives directly in the proper manner.’
Legal experts have predicted the final cost of compensation for abuse victims across British football could reach more than £100million. Chelsea Football Club faces paying millions of pounds for years of sexual abuse endured by youth players. Dozens of boys – some as young as ten – were groped, assaulted or raped in the 1970s by chief scout Eddie Heath, according to one of two damning reports commissioned by the club.
A second report states black players were blasted with ‘daily tirades’ of racism in the 1980s and 1990s. The club has apologised and offered compensation to the sex abuse victims.
One report found chances to stop Heath were missed because Dario Gradi – then an assistant coach at the club – failed to raise the alarm.
Gradi, 78, left Chelsea in the mid1970s. He denied trying to ‘smooth over’ the allegations, saying he raised them with senior staff.
He has also denied knowing about the activities of paedophile coach Barry Bennell, an ex-Chelsea youth player who also worked at Manchester City and Crewe.
Bennell has been jailed for 31 years for abusing young players. Manchester City is also set to offer millions of pounds in compensation to victims of historic child sexual abuse.
A senior judge this week set a date for Cairney, 84, to appeal against his conviction for sexual abuse. He was jailed for four years after being convicted of sexually abusing young footballers during the 1980s.