Child Abuse Scandal

[Biscuits]

BBC News - Scottish football clubs urged to apologise for historical child sex abuse

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-56019232

 

Surely the time has come for the truth? Who knew what and kept it quiet? Who was involved?

 

If clubs are being told to apologise that would insinuate some level of acceptance of blame.

 

Clubs obviously care more about not being held liable financially than doing the right thing.

[ATLIS]

Being told you have to apologise for something is a bit weird. 

At what point do you then just assume the apology is insincere if they're forced to do so. Shows the true nature and character of the clubs involved if they can't even do the very bare minimum by the victims of their horrific acts.

[falkirktheinvincible]

Expecting a well balanced, objective discussion on such a sensitive topic. Over to you, P&B.

[YassinMoutaouakil]

Personally I'm dead against it

[coprolite]

The only question should be "would an apology help the victims?" if the answer is yes they should get an apology. 

It's hard to see what might be gained from not apologising unless there are legal  procedings ongoing or if clubs are worried about criminal charges. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2016/5/contents

[DukDukGoose]

I think I'll avoid twitter tonight.

[Dons_1988]

Uh ohhhh

[Arthur Orton]

@Cardinal Richelieu @keithgy @Mr X @Bully Wee Villa

[Flybhoy]

I'm sure this thread will go well. 

[Bully Wee Villa]

I'm banning everyone who has posted in this thread to be on the safe side.

[Bully Wee Villa]

Oh shit.

[third lanark]

24 minutes ago, Flybhoy said:

I'm sure this thread will go well. 

I’m just hoping there’s no attempts at petty point scoring on something that is such a horrific crime

[hearthammer]

I sincerely hope that ALL clubs who have either inadvertently facilitated these abuses via their coaching and/or scouting staff, or were aware of the "rumours" going around at the time about their staff, make known to whatever enquiry is held EXACTLY what their club is responsible for.  I've read and heard the gloating from The Rangers fans about the seemingly overwhelming evidence known about the Celtic involvement, endorsed by the subsequent convictions, but they appear blind and mute to the involvement of the old Rangers.  It's as crass as it gets for point scoring between the cheeks.

This abuse was apparently prevalent during the 60s, 70s and 80s (??) at NUMEROUS clubs (and not just football) at ALL levels from the top professional clubs to the boys clubs at amateur level.

Time now for FULL responsibility to be taken by each club for their own involvement and, like in any other legal case where wrongs have been done, if monetary compensation is appropriate, then the clubs should pay up. 

Lives have been ruined and/or ended because of the failings by clubs to  a) fully recognise and   b) deal with properly the criminality involving their staff. 

 

[G51]

I understand why some people are tempted to treat this as a taboo subject, because it's difficult to talk about it. But I think it is important that we, as supporters, at the very least acknowledge this report. We also have a role in pushing our clubs to do more to right this wrong. Supporters are the most powerful stakeholders in the game.

I'm not happy with the way my club has responded to this. I know supporters of my club and other clubs will be feeling the same. It feels as if it's been very easy for Scottish football (fans and clubs alike) to collectively stick their heads in the sand over the child abuse scandal. But lives have been ruined over this.

As a minimum, I would expect all clubs to implement the recommendations of the report, and will be writing to the Rangers SLO to make it clear that I expect Rangers to do this.

It is time for every club to stand up and accept responsibility. Because if clubs cannot accept responsibility over failings in the past, how can we be sure that they'll take responsibility for protecting children in the present and future?

[Owsley]

Anyone see Channel 4 News and the staggering comment from Rangers? Along the lines of the abuse concerned  the old CLUB which was liquidated and didn't apply to the new club. 

[DukDukGoose]

31 minutes ago, G51 said:

I understand why some people are tempted to treat this as a taboo subject, because it's difficult to talk about it. But I think it is important that we, as supporters, at the very least acknowledge this report. We also have a role in pushing our clubs to do more to right this wrong. Supporters are the most powerful stakeholders in the game.

I'm not happy with the way my club has responded to this. I know supporters of my club and other clubs will be feeling the same. It feels as if it's been very easy for Scottish football (fans and clubs alike) to collectively stick their heads in the sand over the child abuse scandal. But lives have been ruined over this.

As a minimum, I would expect all clubs to implement the recommendations of the report, and will be writing to the Rangers SLO to make it clear that I expect Rangers to do this.

It is time for every club to stand up and accept responsibility. Because if clubs cannot accept responsibility over failings in the past, how can we be sure that they'll take responsibility for protecting children in the present and future?

It's not so much that it's taboo. It's that this topic has led to some absolute heads gone moments in the past. Posters using child abuse to score points etc.

[superbigal]

The report on the sfa news site. I stopped reading at page 20 odd. Nearly 300 pages. It's awful stuff.

[G51]

10 minutes ago, Merkland Red said:

It's not so much that it's taboo. It's that this topic has led to some absolute heads gone moments in the past. Posters using child abuse to score points etc.

I'm sure the mods deal with that appropriately. But I also hope that a) the report is enough to make everyone appreciate the gravity of the situation, so we wouldn't see point scoring and b) the topic remains open so that we can discuss it - the role of supporters in helping to resolve this is important. We all know our clubs well enough to know if we don't push for something, it doesn't tend to happen.

[Arthur Orton]

Just now, G51 said:

I'm sure the mods deal with that appropriately. But I also hope that a) the report is enough to make everyone appreciate the gravity of the situation, so we wouldn't see point scoring and b) the topic remains open so that we can discuss it - the role of supporters in helping to resolve this is important. We all know our clubs well enough to know if we don't push for something, it doesn't tend to happen.

The topic will remain open however any point scoring will be dealt with immediately.    It's an incredibly sensitive and difficult subject and it is right that it is discussed.   It's abhorrent what happened to those children and if anyone thinks its ok to use it to try and point score on a football forum or in day to day life then they need to have a look at themsleves.

I would ask that if there is anything posted that is out of order then the report function is used.

[Pull My Strings]

2 hours ago, coprolite said:

The only question should be "would an apology help the victims?" if the answer is yes they should get an apology. 

It's hard to see what might be gained from not apologising unless there are legal  procedings ongoing or if clubs are worried about criminal charges. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2016/5/contents

Well, that's not the only question. Another question is: who's meant to apologise? Is it all clubs or are there particular clubs which have been identified as having been complicit (or negligent) in relation to historic abuse? 

An apology needs to include an acceptance of wrongdoing to mean anything.

Edit: Before I get in bother with the mods, I should clarify that I'm not inviting anyone to speculate on the involvement of particular clubs, just querying whether it is genuinely helpful for clubs to issue banal, generic apologies en masse. Would seem to undermine the need for real justice for the victims. 

Edited February 11, 2021 by Pull My Strings