The Not So Beautiful Game: The Liability of Football Clubs for Sexual Abuse

Date/Time: Monday 8th May 2017, 16:00 - 18:30pm

Venue: Conference Room, Newcastle Law School

The football sexual abuse scandal broke on 16 November 2016 when Andy Woodward, former Crewe, Bury and Sheffield United player, waived his right to anonymity and reported that he was sexually abused as a youth player. Since then, a number of other footballers have spoken out about their own experiences of sexual abuse as young players (BBC, ‘Football Child Sexual Abuse Claims: What has happened so far’, 22 December 2016).

Internal investigations have since been commenced by both the Football Association and the Football Association Scotland (BBC, ‘Football Child Sexual Abuse Claims: What has happened so far’, 22 December 2016).

Twenty one police forces have also commenced investigations (BBC, ‘Football Child Sexual Abuse Claims: What has happened so far’, 22 December 2016). This includes the Metropolitan Police who reported on 30 January 2016 that they were investigating 255 allegations of historic sexual abuse involving 77 football clubs in London, including five from the Premier League (The Guardian, ‘Met Police investigating 255 historical sexual abuse allegations’, 30 January 2016).

Criminal charges will most likely be brought at the conclusion of those investigations where sufficient evidence as to that sexual abuse can be gathered. Questions will also be raised as to the liability of the football clubs to compensate the victims of the sexual abuse. This seminar will explore the prospective liability of the football clubs to compensate the victims. Specifically, it will consider whether the clubs can be held strictly liable for that sexual abuse on the basis of the relationship between the clubs and the coaching staff who engaged in the sexual abuse, by way of vicarious liability or liability for breach of a non-delegable duty of care.

A renowned group of international experts on strict liability have been brought together for one afternoon to discuss the issues:

·         Professor Greg Keating – University of Southern California

·         Professor Paula Giliker – University of Bristol

·         Dr Christine Beuermann – University of Newcastle

·         Philip Morgan – York University

The seminar will be chaired by Dr Desmond Ryan – Trinity College Dublin

Please register your interest by Thursday 4 May 2017 at: 

http://forms.ncl.ac.uk/view.php?id=12342

All welcome.

 

Dr Christine Beuermann

Lecturer

Newcastle Law School

christine.beuermann@newcastle.ac.uk

Int + 44 (0) 191 208 7611