Manchester City launch child sexual abuse compensation scheme for Barry Bennell's victims
Manchester City have launched a “survivors’ scheme” for the victims of Barry Bennell and another paedophile, John Broome, who was also involved with the club’s youth set-up.
The move is expected to lead to the Premier League champions offering compensation packages that could total several million pounds and an apology to the players who were sexually abused during their time at the club.
The scheme, which is the first of its kind to be set up by one of the club’s implicated in the sexual abuse scandal that has rocked football, was announced by City on Tuesday morning.
City launched an independent QC led inquiry in November 2016 into Bennell’s connections with the club and how the former youth coach - described as “the devil incarnate” by a judge - was able to exploit a prominent role to abuse boys as young as eight.
That review, which is still ongoing, led to the uncovering of serious allegations of child sex abuse by Broome, who died in 2010 but was involved with City for seven years between 1964 and 1971. City are restricted about what they can say or make public at this stage for legal reasons but the club are said to want to do “the right thing” by the victims whose lives were shattered.
“It is to victims of those two individuals that the scheme applies,” City said in a statement. “The club’s review remains ongoing and Manchester City FC continues to be restricted as to what it can make public at present for legal reasons.
“The club reiterates, however, its heartfelt sympathy to all victims for the unimaginably traumatic experiences that they endured. All victims were entitled to expect full protection from the kind of harm they suffered as a result of their sexual abuse as children.”
City have been facing civil action from a number of former players but the victims will now have the option of being able to pursue those cases through the courts or through the compensation scheme the club have spent the past two years pulling together.
City hope the scheme will enable players who have initiated or are planning legal action against the club to “avoid the costs, time, emotional distress and complexity of a trial with an alternative dispute-resolution process” by providing “a speedier, cheaper and more predictable means of compensation than lengthy, expensive formal court litigation”.
The plan is for a two-tier compensation tariff that takes into account the range of offences, the length of abuse and its effect on the victims. As well as making settlements, City will contribute to legal costs. The scheme is being described as a “victim first” policy.
It is understood City also hope to arrange time to meet face-to-face with victims and offer the apology many crave but which has yet to be forthcoming due to legal constraints. City are understood to recognise that many victims may struggle to move forward with their lives until they have received an apology. City have already spent around £2 million on their inquiry, which is being led by Jane Mulcahy QC.
The redress scheme was devised by Ravi Nayer, a partner at the legal firm Pinsent Masons. Frances Oldham, a QC who previously chaired the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry into the island’s child abuse scandal, has been appointed as an independent adjudicator.
City are aware of around 40 survivors who encountered Bennell or Broome in the club’s youth system but are urging any other victims to come forward. “The club remains fully focused on completing its review to the highest standard possible,” City continued in their statement. “Manchester City and the review team remain keen to speak to any survivor of, or witness to sexual abuse which might in any way be connected to Manchester City or which could support the ongoing review. All such approaches will be treated with the utmost sensitivity and discretion.”
Bennell is currently serving a 30-year prison term after being convicted last year of 50 specimen charges relating to 12 boys, aged eight to 14, over a 12-year period between 1979 and 1991. He had two three-year spells working for City’s youth set-up between 1976 and 1984 and then went on to work as Crewe Alexandra’s youth team coach for seven years.
Like Bennell, Broome, another junior coach, is not thought to have received an official salary from City. Nine people have come forward so far to report him for serious sexual abuse. Nothing has been unearthed so far to suggest Broome and Bennell were connected in any way.
City’s approach to the situation has contrasted starkly with that of Crewe, who are at the centre of the abuse scandal.
Crewe have been accused of “putting two fingers up” to their former player Steve Walters - one of Bennell’s victims - by opting to fight his legal case on the grounds that the player waited too long to report crimes committed against him by the serial paedophile.
Lawyers for Walters have issued High Court legal proceedings against Crewe after he was notified that the club are contesting his claims on the basis that he did not report them earlier.
Walters, who became the youngest first-team player in Crewe’s history when he made his debut in 1988 aged just 16, is one of the 12 victims whose complaints against Bennell led to him being jailed for 30 years last year.
Yet, according to the legal team representing Walters, who is now 47, Crewe are trying to get his case thrown out because he missed a three-year time limit for reporting what happened to him between the ages of 13 and 14.
Crewe say the matter "is being handled by the club’s insurer’s solicitors and remains the subject of ongoing legal proceedings". They also dispute the accuracy of some of the claims made by Walter’s legal team.
City said any survivors or witness to sexual abuse which might be connected in any way to the club should contact safeatcity@ cityfootball.com.
