Crewe Alexandra’s refusal to hold an independent inquiry into how serial paedophile Barry Bennell was able to prey on young boys ‘ demonstrates a disregard for the victims and a lack of understanding as to how the club will now be perceived within football and outside,’ the leader of the town council has said.
Cllr Simon Yates was speaking at tonight’s (Tuesday) meeting of Crewe Town Council where he proposed a motion urging the club to hold an independent review.
He told the meeting: “The motion before council purposefully leads with an expression of support to the victims of the abuse that was suffered because of their dream to have a life and a career in football.”
He said for years the people of Crewe have been proud of the role the club has played in the development of so many wonderful careers.
“It is because of that pride in the contribution made by the club in the future of young people that now the town cannot stand aside from the crimes which took place,” said the council leader.
He said the matter cannot be set aside just because the criminal case has ended and Bennell has been jailed.
“In November 2016 Crewe Alexandra committed to an independent review at the earliest opportunity,” said Cllr Yates. ”It last week announced the review would not take place, citing that the police investigation had concluded.
“This completely misses the point that, for the victims who suffered at the hands of an employee of the club, the end of the police investigation and prosecution does not mean an end for them. They still need to know how this could happen in an organisation committed to developing young people. This is not about a witch-hunt but about how and why Bennell was free to commit his crimes for so long.”
The council leader said recent history demonstrates many examples of how the role of the justice system in meeting the needs of victims is insufficient without there also being an understanding of how this could happen.
“Hillsborough, Leveson and Grenfell shows how important it is to learn from the circumstances in the environment at the time of the crime, the scandal or the disaster and all these examples demonstrate the need to respond to the needs of victims by being completely transparent about how issues were handled at the time,” he said.
“Anything less creates the sense of cover-up which, as we know from the past, creates an even greater loss of confidence in our institutions and the good work doen by so many for their community.”
Cllr Yates said he had hoped Crewe Alex would have announced an independent review ‘as a clear sign that the club understood its obligations to those who placed their future in the hands of the club’.
Cllr Kevin Hickson, who seconded the motion, said no-one at the council wished to be in this position of having to call on the club to hold an inquiry.
“What has happened has been horrific,” said Cllr Hickson.
“We owe it to the victims of Barry Bennell to get to the truth of what happened and to get justice for those who were affected.”
He added: “I’m not saying the club are at fault but,for as long as they refuse to have an inquiry, the shadow will continue to be placed over the club so it’s essential we have that inquiry.”
The motion, calling on the club to hold an independent inquiry and on the FA to publish in full its own independent investigation, was carried. Four councillors abstained.
Barry Bennell 64, is behind bars after being found guilty last month of 43 counts of historic sexual abuse of children he coached between 1979 and 1991.
He was jailed for 31 years.
