Live

Repeat: Off The Ball

10:00 PM-12:00 AM

Repeat: Off The Ball
Advertisement
Soccer

Individuals at four top London clubs linked to historical sexual abuse

The Metropolitan Police says it has received 106 separate allegations of historical sex abuse con...



Individuals at four top London...
Soccer

Individuals at four top London clubs linked to historical sexual abuse

The Metropolitan Police says it has received 106 separate allegations of historical sex abuse connected with individuals at 30 of London's football clubs.

Four of the clubs are in the Premier League, two are in the Championship, and three are in League One or League Two.

In a statement, Scotland Yard said allegations had also been levelled against individuals in 21 other clubs including non-league and amateur teams. The force has not named any of the clubs involved.

Detective Chief Superintendent Ivan Balhatchet said: "The Met takes all allegations seriously, and specialist officers will work through the information passed to them."

Mr Balhatchet said the number of allegations received by the force was likely to change.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Football Association (SFA) has announced it is going to establish an independent review into allegations of child sexual abuse in football.

Although the SFA said it has taken "initial steps" towards establishing the scope of the review, it stressed that Police Scotland remains the main investigatory authority regarding any allegations made.

England's Football Association published the full terms of reference for its review into historical child sexual abuse in football on Monday.

Its chairman Greg Clarke said the review "will leave no stone unturned", with findings dealt with in a "transparent and appropriate manner".

Mr Clarke added: "The review has been asked to establish what, if anything, the FA and clubs knew about these allegations at the relevant time and what action was taken or should have taken place."

On Friday, the National Police Chiefs' Council said 98 clubs across the country and spanning all tiers of the game had been "impacted" by the growing abuse scandal, with 83 potential suspects identified.

It added that 98% of those identified as potential victims were male, and were seven to 20 years old at the time of the alleged abuse.

Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!

Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.


Read more about

Soccer