A leading Premier League football figure has obtained an anonymity order from the High Court to prevent his identity being revealed in a civil action brought against him for alleged sexual abuse of a teenage girl.
The man in question, a well-known name in the English Premier League, is being sued for aggravated damages by a woman who claims she was 15 when the offenses allegedly took place in the 1990s.
However, his lawyers successfully argued to a High Court judge that an order should be made to protect his name from disclosure in the media.
This order was issued, according to court documents viewed by Athleticism, to “protect the interests of the accused” and “ensure the administration of justice”. The judge in the case decided “there was insufficient public interest in disclosure.”
As such, the case is listed without the defendant’s name in legal documents that state he is accused of sexual abuse and “committing injury to the property of the person of the plaintiff (battery and injuries) and intentionally injured.” This would have caused psychological harm to his alleged victim.
Lawyers representing the man presented a detailed case to the King Bench Division of the High Court, arguing his identity should be protected because of the potential impact it would have on him.
Although confidentiality rules in the UK grant anonymity to suspects from the early stages of a police investigation (a rule which only changes if the person concerned is charged), this does not generally apply in cases civil cases where an alleged sexual attacker is sued for damages. .
Athleticism can also reveal that the same man was investigated by police for a number of other non-recent alleged sexual offenses – including previous allegations of rape and sexual abuse of teenage girls.
In a statement, the relevant police said they had “received a number of allegations relating to non-recent sexual offences”. Our specialist agents carried out an investigation and collected testimonies from the victims.
“Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service and acting on advice received from them, we have taken the decision that no further action will be taken in relation to a number of the allegations.”
This decision was made earlier this year.
The alleged victim in the civil case contacted the same police in late 2021 and her complaint was forwarded to its specialized unit for investigating sexual offenses against minors under 16 years old. She claimed the rape took place at the man’s home.
However, detectives investigating her complaint realized she was affected by a little-known legal anomaly – under the Sexual Offenses Act 1956, the then British Parliament’s legislation for England and the Country of Wales – which children’s charity NSPCC has described as “devastating” and “heartbreaking” for the people he works against.
The police informed her that she had waited too long to report the matter because the legislation states that if the alleged offense took place between 1956 and 2004 and the alleged victim was a girl aged 13 to 15 , she had to file a complaint within a year. .
This time limit was abandoned when the Sexual Offenses Act 2003 came into force in May 2004, but it still applied if the alleged assault had occurred within the previous 48 years. The legislation only applies to girls aged 13 to 15, not boys.
After what police described as a complex investigation, the CPS decided to no longer pursue the matter. The man was not arrested and the case was closed.
Although the man’s identity has been protected, it is understood that the Football Association’s protection service has been informed of the allegations made against him.
This is relevant in this case because if the FA knows that someone in the sport has been accused of child sex offenses – making that person, in theory, a potential risk to girls or boys of a certain age – it has the power to carry out a risk assessment report and, if necessary, impose an interim suspension order against that person while the matter is investigated.
As things stand, the man in question continues to work in football and does not appear to have been subject to any protective measures, although he could potentially be in close proximity to female footballers and young girls .
“We have robust safeguards in place and all referrals made to us are handled in accordance with our policies and procedures,” read a statement from the FA. “We investigate and assess all allegations and concerns relating to individuals who may pose a risk of harm to children and adults in football and, where appropriate, may impose proportionate safeguarding measures in accordance with the FA Safeguarding Regulations We do not comment on individual cases.
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(Top photo: George Wood/Getty Images)