The identity of the Premier League club’s boss remains hidden in historic child abuse case

The identity of a Premier League club boss remains secret after he was accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl.

The alleged victim has initiated civil proceedings against him for increased damages.

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The judge in the case granted the football figure anonymity – meaning his name does not appear in legal documents.

Master Stevens, who sits as a judge in the King’s Bench Division of the High Court, said this was necessary for the “administration of justice”.

She said she took into account human rights to private and family life and freedom of expression when making her decision.

Although the UK has data protection rules for identifying suspects in the early stages of a police investigation, the media is usually permitted to report on cases in court – including civil cases.

The ruling came after the football boss’s lawyers argued he should remain anonymous because naming him could be damaging.

The alleged victim came forward in 2021 and claimed she was raped in his home when she was 15 years old.

However, the man was not arrested and the case remained on file with the Crown Prosecution Service.

The reason for this was a legal irregularity that caused the woman to wait too long to report her claims.

If the alleged offense took place between 1956 and 2004 and the complainant was a girl between the ages of 13 and 15, the legislation at the time required a report to be made within one year.

Although this was abolished when the Sexual Offenses Act 2003 came into force, it continued to apply if the alleged incident had taken place within the last 48 years.

Court documents seen by The Athletic say he “unlawfully injured the person of the plaintiff (assault and battery) and intentionally inflicted injury on him.”

This is said to have caused psychological damage to the woman, the documents say.

The case is separate from another historical rape allegation made by another woman.

Police previously confirmed the well-known football figure was interviewed under caution about the claim last June.

The BBC previously revealed the boss was still in his post despite being under criminal investigation.

The Met Police previously said: “On Thursday 23 September 2021, the Met received a crime report relating to a historical rape allegation.

“On Monday, June 12, a man was interviewed under caution at a police station.”

In this case, further investigation will be carried out before a decision is made on whether to press charges against him or take no further action.