Football child abuse scandal ‘not a numbers game’ as 21 forces investigate historical sex claims

Football’s burgeoning child sex abuse scandal should not turn into a “contest in suffering” leading to an “undignified” competition between victims, a leading campaigner to combat violence against females has warned.

As half of Britain’s forces – across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – have already been drawn into investigations of historic allegations going back decades, comparisons with the Jimmy Savile revelations are “uncomfortable to listen to”.

Sexual abuse of minors is “painful enough” without ranking it in terms of numbers and outcomes, says Joan Smith, chair of the London Mayor’s Violence Against Women and Girls Panel.

Despite the potential for being ‘bigger than Savile’ in relation to victims and perpetrators, she said it is important to resist “a ghoulish desire for one to be worse than another”.

She said: “It must be hard for Savile’s victims to hear casual claims that this latest scandal is worse than their own.

“All victims of rape and sexual assault should be treated the same, regardless of whether they are men or women; part of a sweeping historic scandal or an individual attack.”

A joint report on Jimmy Savile by the NSPCC and Metropolitan Police Service identified 450 victims, including 328 under-age children.

In the latest disclosures to emerge in football, some 350 victims have come forward to claim they were abused in the sport – with the NSPCC expecting the number of calls to its dedicated helpline, supported by the Football Association (FA), to top 1,000.

At least 55 amateur and professional football clubs have been placed under investigation by 21 forces – in the three weeks since ex-Crewe Alexandra player Andy Woodward waived his right to anonymity to say that he was a victim of sexual abuse as a young footballer.

“We don’t know the final number yet, but it is becoming clear that boys were abused by a whole series of perpetrators at different levels of the game, from professional clubs to amateur teams,” added Ms Smith.

“Comparisons with Savile are uncomfortable to listen to, and risk setting up an undignified competition between victims.

“Next time you hear someone claiming that the scandal around football clubs is ‘bigger than Savile’, please remember that the last thing we want is a contest in suffering.”

Her comments come as QPR football club became the latest to admit it was “aware” of historical child abuse allegations made against a former employee, Chris Gieler.

The Championship club said it “takes these allegations very seriously” and would “co-operate fully in any forthcoming investigation”.

Gieler left the club in 2003 and died the following year. He was employed by the west London side for 30 years, working in youth development and as chief scout.

Earlier on Tuesday (December 6), former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp told the BBC that “rumours” that ex-Southampton coach Bob Higgins may have abused young players in the 1980s had been “rife” for years.

He said that, because of this, he was “amazed” that Mr Higgins, who is facing fresh allegations of historical sexual abuse, had continued to be involved in football.

Mr Higgins has denied all allegations and was acquitted of assaulting young boys in 1992. In 1997, a joint letter was sent out by Hampshire Constabulary and social services declaring that Mr Higgins was “considered a risk to children”, the Sun on Sunday reports.

Until the beginning of the week the 63-year-old was working at Fleet Town FC. The Hampshire club has confirmed he is no longer an employee.

Six former Southampton players are claiming the coach abused them during his time at the club.

One of those, Neil Kerton says the club “closed its eyes” to the coach`s behaviour, which he suffered for three years from the age of 11. He said “officials must have realised”.

Over the weekend, former youth player Gary Johnson was given a “profuse” apology by Chelsea FC for hushing up allegations against ex-coach Eddie Heath in the 1970s.

Mr Johnson, 57, told the Mirror on Fri