Premier League leader granted anonymity in alleged teen sexual abuse case

A leading Premier League football figure has enforced a Supreme Court anonymity order to prevent his identity being revealed in a civil case against him over alleged sexual abuse of a teenage girl.

The man in question, a household name from England’s top flight, is being sued for large damages by a woman who claims she was 15 when the offenses allegedly occurred in the 1990s.

However, his lawyers successfully argued before a Supreme Court judge that an order should be issued to protect his name from publication by the media.

That order was issued, according to court documents viewed by The athlete, to “protect the interests of the accused” and “ensure the administration of justice.” The judge ruled in the case that “there is no sufficient countervailing public interest in disclosure.”

Therefore, the case is listed with random letters instead of the names of the alleged victim and perpetrator in legal documents, which state that he is accused of sexual abuse and that he “committed tortious injury (assault and battery) to the person of the plaintiff and willful injury.” inflicted”. This, it is said, caused psychological harm to his alleged victim.

Lawyers representing the man have presented a detailed case to the King Bench Division of the High Court, arguing that his identity should be protected because of the potential impact it would have on him.

Although data protection rules in the UK grant anonymity to suspects in the early stages of a police investigation (a rule that only changes if the person in question is charged), this does not normally apply in civil proceedings where an alleged sexual perpetrator is seeking damages is sued.

The athlete can also reveal that the same man was being investigated by police for a number of other alleged, non-recent sexual offenses – including previous allegations of rape and sexual abuse of teenage girls.

In a statement, the local police said they had “received a number of allegations relating to non-recent sexual offenses”. Our specialists conducted an investigation and obtained statements from victims.

“After consulting with the Crown Prosecution Service and implementing the advice we received from them, we have decided not to take any further action in relation to a number of the allegations.”

This decision was made at the beginning of the year.

The alleged victim of the civil case contacted the same police at the end of 2021 and her report was forwarded to their special unit for investigating sexual offenses against under-16s. She claimed the rape took place in the man’s house.

But investigators looking into her complaint found she was affected by a little-known legal anomaly – under the Sexual Offenses Act 1956, the UK Parliament’s then legislation for England and Wales – which the children’s charity NSPCC described as “devastating”. described and “heartbreaking” for the people it affects.

Police told her that she had waited too long to report the matter as the law states that if the alleged crime took place between 1956 and 2004 and the alleged victim was a girl, she must report it within a year from 13 to 15 years old.

When the Sexual Offenses Act 2003 came into force in May 2004, the time limit was removed, but continued to apply if the alleged assault occurred within the last 48 years. The legislation only applied to girls aged 13 to 15, not boys.

After what police described as a complex investigation, the CPS decided not to take any further action. The man was not arrested and the case was closed.

Although the man’s identity has been protected, it is understood the Football Association’s security department has been informed of the allegations made against him.

That’s relevant in this case because if the FA knows that someone in the sport has been accused of sexual offenses against children – which theoretically makes that person a potential danger to girls or boys of a certain age – it has the power to do so Prepare a risk assessment report and, if necessary, impose an interim ban on the person while the matter is investigated.

Currently, the man in question continues to be involved in football and is not believed to be subject to any protective measures, although he may be in close proximity to female and female footballers.

“We have strict safeguards in place and all referrals to us are treated in accordance with our policies and procedures,” an FA statement said. “We investigate and assess all allegations and concerns about individuals who may pose a risk of harm to children and adults in football and may, where appropriate, impose appropriate safeguarding measures in accordance with the FA Safeguarding Regulations. “We do not comment on individual cases.”

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(Top photo: George Wood/Getty Images)