The police and football authorities are being urged to close a loophole that has allowed suspected sex offenders to watch children’s matches and use junior club facilities even after they have been charged with an offence. David Lean, who was abused by the former football coach and serial...
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The police and football authorities are being urged to close a loophole that has allowed suspected sex offenders to watch children’s matches and use junior club facilities even after they have been charged with an offence.
David Lean, who was abused by the former football coach and serial paedophile Barry Bennell, has called for restrictions on anyone being investigated for sexual offences involving minors to be banned from attending junior sports events.
Lean has been told by Simon Bailey, the chief constable of Norfolk and the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s lead on child protection, that he will look into how this “obvious gap” can be bridged.
Lean, 53, a former Preston North End reserve player, has raised concerns after a 78-year-old coach of Lancashire boys’ team was fined last month and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register after a police sting operation in which he was caught sending sexual messages to someone he believed was a 12-year-old boy.
The former coach is now banned from attending junior matches via a Sexual Harm Prevention Order but had no such restrictions when he was on bail awaiting trial, and was seen by Lean on the touchline at games and using the club café.
“This is a huge loophole and this really needs to be changed as soon as possible,” Lean told The Times.
“It’s entirely wrong that someone can be charged with a safeguarding offence involving children and yet still be free — as this coach was until his court case was heard — to stand on the touchline while children are playing football and use the facilities near the changing rooms.”
Lean has asked the NSPCC, the children’s charity, to intervene, and has contacted the FA’s head of safeguarding as well as the police.
An email from Mr Bailey to Lean has confirmed that his concerns will be looked into.
“I will be convening a working group to investigate how we bridge this obvious gap in the risk-management of suspected child sex abusers while they are being investigated,” Mr Bailey said.
The FA insists that its hands are tied because it has no jurisdiction off the pitch.
Meanwhile, Lean has also criticised another delay in the publication of the report by Clive Sheldon QC into child abuse in football.
Work on the report started four years ago and was initially delayed by new charges against Bennell, but had been due to be published in September or October. However, survivors have been told they will now have to wait until next month to see its findings.
Lean said: “It’s absolutely ridiculous to keep us waiting into another year. It’s unfair on the survivors who are trying desperately to move on, which I don’t believe is too much to ask after four years of waiting.
“This is just another system that doesn’t take into consideration the thoughts and feelings of survivors and, as importantly, their families.”
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