Victim of paedophilia: Scottish football referee calls for public inquiry into historical sexual abuse of young players

Two victims of a paedophile football referee have called for a public inquiry into the historic sexual abuse of young players in Scottish football.

Peter Haynes and Stuart McMillan were victims of SFA coach Hugh Stevenson, who died in 2004 at the age of 66. Both have waived their right to anonymity and believe there are hundreds more victims – some as young as six years old.

They are calling on the Scottish Government to conduct a judicial inquiry into what they believe was decades of widespread child abuse by Stevenson and others.

Peter, now 58, said: “I want a public inquiry into child abuse across Scottish football and not just Hugh Stevenson. These boys were allowed to do what they wanted. I want to know how much the SFA and other football bodies knew about the abuse.”

“I believe there was a paedophile network in Scottish football at the time, involving Stevenson and others, that was ignored.”

Peter said he was 12 years old when he was first raped by Stevenson in 1979. The abuse lasted four years, with the attacks taking place at the referee’s home in Paisley.

Since he first joined the police in 1993, he has been fighting for justice for more than 30 years.

Stevenson was arrested and charged but never faced trial. In 1994, Peter met with then SFA chief Jim Farry but was told there was nothing they could do as Stevenson was no longer associated with them.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Celtic Football Club was preparing to pay millions to more than 20 victims of paedophile coaches at a boys’ club after decades of campaigning.

Peter is disappointed with the Scottish Government’s response to his years-long requests for an investigation.

The victims were denied participation in the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry because the SFA had already published its own inquiry in 2021 in which it publicly apologised.

Peter also met Sports Minister Maree Todd in 2022.

He said: “She told me she would do what she could. I’m still waiting for a response.”

Peter first spoke openly about his abuse in 2016 and has been contacted by others who had been abused as boys by Stevenson, who was on the SFA’s official list of referees between 1964 and 1983.

Peter, a father of five, said: “He abused boys on a large scale and in some cases entire families.

“The majority never reported the attacks because they were afraid they would not be believed or their careers would be jeopardized.”

Peter, a social worker in Fife, lived on the same street as Stevenson and first met him in 1979. He said the abuse began after the referee took him to the 1979 Scottish Cup final – the day before his 13th birthday.

He said: “There were so many complaints against Stevenson. The SFA knew there was something wrong with him. If you ask me how many victims he had, I would say it was hundreds. I think he carried on until his death in 2004.”

Stuart McMillan, 62, a retired prison guard, also supports a public inquiry.

Stuart, from Paisley, was 17 when he came to Stevenson’s attention after starting training to become a referee.

He said: “I want the SFA to say they got it wrong. I am scarred and have difficulty maintaining relationships. Hugh Stevenson should never have been given the access he was given.”

Her case was taken up by the Conservative justice spokesman, Russell Findlay, who wrote in a letter to Todd: “I cannot understand why the Scottish Government is refusing to better understand the extent of child sexual abuse in our national football and to extend the remit of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry Commission to include football.”

“The abuse scandal is a stain on Scottish football. It has caused untold suffering to countless football-obsessed children. The Government cannot continue to let these victims down.”

The SFA said it could not comment. The Scottish Government noted that the SFA’s independent investigation “recognised the significant physical and psychological harm caused to the individuals and the need to ensure the safety, rights and welfare of the children affected today”.

It said it had abolished the three-year statute of limitations for child abuse cases and was supporting the police in bringing perpetrators to justice, noting that a number of people “responsible for such crimes have been successfully convicted”.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The independent inquiry into sexual abuse in Scottish football, commissioned by the Scottish Football Association, has recognised the significant physical and psychological harm caused to individuals and highlighted the need to ensure the safety, rights and welfare of the children affected today.”

“We support the work of the Scottish police and prosecutors to bring perpetrators to justice and note that a number of individuals responsible for such crimes have been successfully convicted and punished.

“The Scottish Government has also taken action to remove a long-standing legal hurdle for adult victims of child abuse seeking compensation by passing legislation to remove the three-year limitation period for all child abuse cases.”

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