Football Association initiates sexual abuse inquiry

James Benge27 November 2016

The Football Association has initiated an internal inquiry into allegations of sexual abuse in the sport.

Independent leading counsel Kate Gallafent QC will oversee the review, which follow several former footballers saying they were abused as youth players.

A NSPCC helpline was launched earlier this week in light of the allegations; it has since been reported that over 100 calls have been made to the number.

The FA said: “We are working closely with the police to support their lead investigations and must ensure we do not do anything to interfere with or jeopardise the criminal process.

“The internal review will look into what information The FA was aware of at the relevant times around the issues that have been raised in the press, what clubs were aware of, and what action was or should have been taken.”

English football’s governing body also confirmed that “a wide-ranging inquiry may be required in time”.

Gallafent will provide recommendations “to ensure these situations can never be repeated”.

The Child Protection in Sport Unit, which has helped form the FA’s safeguarding policy since 2000, will carry out its own independent audit into the governing body’s current practices in early 2017. This will not consider the historic allegations.

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