Updated | Figures released by the National Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and the National Police Chief's Council (NPCC) have laid bare the extent of English football's sex abuse scandal.
According to the BBC, the NSPCC's dedicated football sex abuse hotline received 860 calls between November 23 and 29, the first week of its launch. The charity said it had referred more than 60 instances to various U.K. agencies in the first three days.
The police body said around 350 victims had reported sexual abuse at U.K. football clubs, with the number made up of current investigations and those transferred from the NSPCC hotline. The NPCC said they had received a "signifcant number of calls" related to sexual abuse at U.K. football clubs, and 15 police forces confirmed they are investigating allegations.
The game in England has been rocked by allegations that Barry Bennell, a former youth football coach at Crewe Alexandra, abused boys in his care. The BBC revealed on Tuesday that Bennell had been charged with eight offences of sexual assault against a boy under 14.
The Times reported on Thursday that English Premier League club Chelsea faces potential punishment from the Football Association if it finds that the club made a "secret payment" to silence claims of abuse. The claims relate to an ex youth player who alleged sexual abuse in the 1970s by Eddie Heath, the club's former chief scout who died more than two decades ago.
This article has been updated with new comments from the NPCC.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Sportswriter at Newsweek.
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
