Child Abuse Law
  • Home
    • About
  • Case Law
  • CICA Claims
  • Contact
  • Blog

The Football Association's Review into child sexual abuse in football

26/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Some months ago, the Football Association announced that its review into child sexual abuse in football would be led by Mr Clive Sheldon QC.

Today I went to support a client who was giving evidence to Mr Sheldon at the offices of Sport Resolution in London

Although he has taken statements from a large number of people who have suffered abuse whilst playing and training in football clubs, Mr Sheldon encouraged me to publicise the work of his Review, so that as many people as possible come forward.  

That has to be the right thing to do. I was impressed by Mr Sheldon's understanding of the painful process through which my client had to go, in order to tell his story.  The approach was professional and sympathetic.

The Review covers the time period from 1970 and around 2005.

It is looking at:-
  • What the FA and the Clubs knew about child sex abuse
  • What they did about it
  • What they should have known and done about it
In November of last year, I produced an article on this subject.

htps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/football-crisis-what-state-child-protection-law-eihties-Johnson

The review will produce a report which will consider whether the FA and the Clubs did enough to keep children safe. It will also make recommendations.

The questions that Mr Sheldon put to my client were:-
  • When the abuse began and ended, the identity of the abuse and their role (e.g. coach/scout/parent/player/referee)
  • Whether anyone else was aware or might have been aware of what was going on.
  • Whether the survivor of abuse was able to tell anyone about the abuse
  • If it was reported, what was the response
  • Whether any professional support was offered
My client was also asked:-
  • What do you think should have been done differently?
  • What do you think would have made a difference to you at the time?
Mr Sheldon also explained that the Review was obliged to refer allegations of criminal conduct to the Police, or to the current FA Safeguarding Team if there was anything that disclosed a current safeguarding risk to children. Once again, this is a reasonable approach to take.

The Review's work is quite separate from that of the police, and Mr Sheldon explained that he will consult with the police before he takes an account from anyone.

If the Review wishes to refer to anything specific that a person has told them in their report, then they will ask for that person's permission before attributing it to them and they will not (without that person's permission) disclose any details in their report that would make it possible for the person to be identified by the public.

Contact details:-
The Secretariat to the Independent Football Review
Tel. 020 7036 1966
Email football@sportresolutions.co.uk
1 Salisbury Square, London EC4Y 8AE

More details about the work of the Review can be found at:-
http://www.thefa.com/news/2016/dec/05/fa-statement-terms-of-reference-061216://www.thefa.com/news/2016/dec/05/fa-statement-terms-of-reference-061216
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Malcolm Johnson, Specialist Child Abuse Lawyer

    Categories

    All
    Child Abuse In Sport
    Children & Social Media
    CICA
    Failure To Take In To Care

    Archives

    April 2022
    March 2022
    April 2019
    January 2019
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016

    RSS Feed

Contact Us

    Subscribe to Updates Today!

Submit

The contents of this site remains the sole responsibility of Malcolm Johnson as a private individual, and is not endorsed by any business by which he is employed.  In particular Malcolm Johnson does not hold himself out as preparing this website for or on behalf of any business by which he is employed, or as having been authorised by any business or employer to do so.  It is not intended to stand as legal advice in any particular case, and should not be relied upon as such.   To the extent permitted by law, Malcolm Johnson will not be liable by reason of breach of contract, negligence, or otherwise for any loss of consequential loss occasioned to any person acting omitting to act or refraining from acting in reliance upon the website material or arising from or connected with any error or omission in the website material.    Consequential loss shall be deemed to include, but is not limited to, any loss of profits or anticipated profits, damage to reputation, or goodwill, loss of business or anticipated business, damages, costs, expenses incurred or payable to any third party or any other indirect or consequential losses.

  • Home
    • About
  • Case Law
  • CICA Claims
  • Contact
  • Blog