North Wales Police investigate dozens of sports club abuse allegations
Almost 40 referrals have been made to North Wales Police regarding alleged abuse of children at sporting organisations since 2016 official figures reveal.
Thirty-eight have been made since the start of 2016 of which 28 are being investigated by other forces.
According to the force some cases have been previously investigated and some involve suspects who are now deceased.
It also revealed that a small number of cases were currently at “various stages of investigation”, including being considered for prosecution.
The North Wales figures come as North Wales PC Mike Smith opened up to the Daily Post about his harrowing catalogue of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a football coach in Ireland.
He spoke out to help publicise the launch of the Offside Trust website, an abuse survivors’ charity headed up be ex-footballer Steve Walters and professional golfer Chris Unsworth.
Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Williams of North Wales Police said: “The majority of cases are currently being investigated by police forces in other areas of the country. The remaining cases involve a number of factors.
“Such is the nature of the referral process, victims or other reporting parties can remain anonymous if they so wish; a hugely important aspect, but one that can sometimes cause difficulties with progression in terms of criminal justice.
“Other aspects include cases that have been investigated previously, but which were reported for information.
“Finally we have some involving deceased suspects and a small number that are still at various stages of investigation, up to and including arrest and submission to the Crown Prosecution Service for charging advice.”
Across the UK there have 1,432 referrals to Operation Hydrant, the enquiry tasked with investigating and co-ordinating “non-recent child sexual abuse” in sporting clubs and organisations.
The indicative number of nationwide victims is 560 and 252 suspects have been identified, involving 311 clubs – the vast majority of them football clubs.
Det Ch Insp Williams also took the opportunity to ask potential victims to come forward.
He added: “I would again urge anyone who may have been a victim of these types of crime to report what happened to them. They will be treated with sensitivity, they will be believed and their cases will be thoroughly investigated.”
Both PC Smith and Steve Walters have called on the Football Association of Wales to launch their own independent inquiry into abuse.
So far it is the only British football association to have resisted the call.
*If you have been affected by abuse in sport you can contact the Offside Trust at www.theoffsidetrust.com/
*The NSPCC’s hotline is 0800 023 2642 and ChildLine for children and young people can be contacted on 0800 1111
*The National Association for People Abused in Childhood can be contacted on 0808 801 0331
*In the UK Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123
