Villa "Settle"Sexual Abuse Claims

[TheMalandro]

The most depressing thing about my job is the ridiculously huge number of sex abuse stories I deal with every day across every section of society, not just the high profile ones. The same pattern emerges whether it's Ordinary 'Salt of the Earth' Bloke, football, media, politics, business, education...

There is a human attitude that runs through all of these cases and amounts to (almost invariably) men believing they can do what ever they want to (almost invariably) women and children. Regardless of age and sex, the cover-ups always come down to a spineless determination to protect power structures and make sure no-one questions societal norms, hierarchies and organisations. It was inexcusable then, is even more indefensible now, and it is happening every second of every day.

I actually despise the Villa's statement. It's the usual corporate shite about it being paramount importance, top priority, no doubt they've said lessons will be learned at some point. Yet it still tells victims they have to come forward and promises the bare minimum. There is nothing proactive in anything the club has said. Like every other organisation, ignore it, admit nothing, throw money at it, get the press office to fling out a mealy-mouthed statement, answer no questions, hope it doesn't happen again or, if it does, you don't get found out.

What else can they say, we are sorry?

What difference does it make. 

[Simon Page]

To what's gone, no difference. To the next time, and the one after that, and.... loads.

I read the same statement from every organisation every time it happens. Take another famous old institution: For years countless people knew about Stuart Hall. Was anything done? No. Was anything said? Yes, but with a shrug of the shoulders or a bawdy joke. Did anyone put the victims first? No. Did anyone blame the victims or see them as lesser? Fuck yes. Did anyone who turned a blind eye or failed to fulfill their duties face commensurate consequences? No. Did anyone take responsibility? No. Was Stuart Hall celebrated in an over the top fashion and feted wherever he went even though people knew? Of course. Were lessons claimed to be learned? Tick. Were there non-specific promises of being better now? Aplenty. Were there claims of safeguarding being of paramount importance? Yep. Is it still going on? Would you like to bet against it? How proactive are the organisations in checking what is going on?...

So, what I'd like them to say is everything they discovered about what happened and, more importantly, everything they now do, particularly addressing that to anyone who might be going through something similar.

[Sexual Ealing]

To what's gone, no difference. To the next time, and the one after that, and.... loads.

I read the same statement from every organisation every time it happens. Take another famous old institution: For years countless people knew about Stuart Hall. Was anything done? No. Was anything said? Yes, but with a shrug of the shoulders or a bawdy joke. Did anyone put the victims first? No. Did anyone blame the victims or see them as lesser? Fuck yes. Did anyone who turned a blind eye or failed to fulfill their duties face commensurate consequences? No. Did anyone take responsibility? No. Was Stuart Hall celebrated in an over the top fashion and feted wherever he went even though people knew? Of course. Were lessons claimed to be learned? Tick. Were there non-specific promises of being better now? Aplenty. Were there claims of safeguarding being of paramount importance? Yep. Is it still going on? Would you like to bet against it? How proactive are the organisations in checking what is going on?...

So, what I'd like them to say is everything they discovered about what happened and, more importantly, everything they now do, particularly addressing that to anyone who might be going through something similar.

This is a really good post.

[Demitri_C]

Dave's right in that we can't shy away from this.  I don't think for a minute that SGT was deliberately trying to enable further abuse or to protect the club instead of the child but the advice he gave was just about the worst advice you could possibly give.  Words to the effect of 'best not tell anyone because it might end up bad for you' - if that's what he said - is dreadful.

Agree with this. Again this os allegedly we wont know as taylor isnt around anymore.

But if true completely wrong

[Drummond]

The point is that it was and always will be wrong. What was said by Taylor (if true) was wrong, but people feared to put their head above the parapet and as one small cog in the machine, he probably felt he couldn't change things. There needs to be a huge cultural shift still.

We're still seeing issues around Racism, Homophobia etc too and people are treated appallingly in the first instance with minimal action and sanctions against perpetrators, and in the latter there's a fear to speak up because of the stigma and repercussions for the individual. Our game needs to change in lots of ways.