Friday, 3 November 2017
It was always in the public interest
David Lean was a child destined for a great future in football. He loved football so much, he can’t remember a time without it in his life. He says, ‘Two older brothers and a sporting dad saw to that. Although my dad played rugby for Fylde – until a bad injury at a young age, he was a star, playing for the first team at just 17 as a winger. He was also the fastest in Lancashire at school.’ Like many young boys, David played football all day, every day; but David was good. He dreamed about becoming a footballer every day.
He played for his Primary school at 9 years old. He recalls the school team manager, who doubled up as a teacher, told his mum and dad at parents’ evening that ‘My brains were in my feet. Dad was happy but a little worried about this comment. Mum was devastated.’
From a very young age, he played every week at his local YMCA and soon joined their team. He also played for his high school team and his hometown Blackpool school boys. He had trials with Blackpool FC, before spending two years with Burnley until he left school, winning competitions and leagues with regularity, as well as individual awards. By the age of 16, he had collected around 40 trophies for his hard work.
He says modestly ‘My Pro career was short. I was with Preston North End from October 1983 to May 1986, after Burnley let me go – just three weeks before I left school. That was hard to take.’
He went on to play Sunday football in most of the local leagues, winning the Sunday Premiere League twice. He also played many seasons in the North West Counties and West Lancashire leagues, as well as a short spell with Fleetwood Town in the late 90’s.
It was as an 11-year-old though that David’s life was changed forever. On a holiday in Wales. in the Summer of 1979, he met a professional football coach.
‘He had links to a professional club and told me I was a star of the future.’
He told me, “He wrote to me in total for 11 months, grooming me, before I eventually spent two nights attending a football course at his house in April 1980, as a 12-year-old. I was sexually abused by him over a sustained period on both evenings.” Despite being devastated by the abuse on those two nights, he bravely returned home in silence, telling no one of his ordeal.
The Police were the first people I ever told
“My mum made comments about Childhood Sexual Abuse after a TV programme, and told me she would not have been able to cope if that had ever happened to me. I decided there and then that I would never disclose until after Mum had passed. That programme was aired in 1997, and I disclosed in February 2013. I kept my secret promise and I’m glad I did, although I went through many years of wanting to disclose and suffering because of my decision. I do not regret it at all. I went to the police and disclosed just five days after Mum’s funeral. The police were the first people I ever told,” David said.
“If I’m honest, having to disclose and put my elderly dad through all that was such a hard decision to make, but if I was to have any chance of a conviction and justice, I would need my dad and his evidence. It broke my heart – him telling me about his police interview. He passed away just 6 months after seeing my abuser convicted. On his deathbed, he spent hours apologising to me. It was NEVER his fault or Mum’s. My abuser was a professional and the best at what he did.”
I asked David about his experience of disclosing to the Police. “After disclosure, the police took my case seriously, but it was later when the first mention of Public Interest came into play. The two CPS tests are the evidence test and the public interest, as well as a witness needing to be credible. In June 2013, the CPS dropped my case, saying it was not in the public interest. On their own website at the time, it stated that the following are almost always in the public interest… If the child is 12 years or younger,
If it’s planned/ groomed for a period,
If the Abuser is in a position of trust,
If there is a significant age difference.
I ticked every single box. They also said that I was credible and I met the evidence test too.” he says.
Asked how he felt when he was told by the CPS, that his abuser would not face prosecution, he says “I could not agree, Ever. So I appealed to the National Childhood Sexual Abuse review panel, which had just been formed. I was the test case. I appealed and eventually, after 7 months and two meetings of a group headed by the top officials of both police and CPS, I won. The CPS was told to re-look at my case, with the NEW prosecution guidance that my case had brought in. Effectively, my case changed the law – meaning cases of CSA where only a short sentence may be handed down, could still be seen as within the public interest.” He added, “I will never forgive the CPS, I went through hell. My case was always in the public interest. It’s just a money thing, so many CSA cases are dropped on these grounds. It’s disgraceful.”
The hurt doesn’t go away after conviction. David still finds it difficult to speak about his ordeal and had to take several breaks during the recording of this interview. After one such break, he told me “I feel as angry today with the CPS, as I did in June 2013. Nothing will ever take that feeling away. The more I hear about the way cases of CSA are dealt with, the angrier I get. You hope it’s a one-off with your own case but it’s far from it. It’s about money and guaranteed convictions. They care about nothing else. You are just a reference number to them. Still though, I would always encourage survivors to come forward. But I would always ask them to make sure they have some support before they do. I would also tell non-recent cases coming forward, to ensure they are coming forward for more than criminal justice. It will be a difficult road and can take up to two years, and often does. I know many – including myself, who have and are moving forward with life after disclosing our horrible secrets. We have taken back our lives. Having support is vital after disclosure. I don’t just mean professional support either. Teresa my wife has been my rock since disclosure. I am fully aware of how hard this has been for her. Teresa had no idea when we met, and although she was the first loved one that I told after disclosure to the police, we had only been together around four years at that time. I had no idea how she would take it. To make matters worse, at times within her nursing role, she has dealt with CSA Offenders. Soon afterwards, she changed roles within nursing. My case has since gone public, so she has had to cope with so much, and I am very lucky to have her. We married on December 15th 2016, so are almost at our first anniversary, although we will have been together just short of 9 years by the time that date arrives.
I had asked Teresa after my mum’s funeral, during a week’s annual leave we had both booked, for one day to myself. I told her I had something I needed to do, which wasn’t great – but I would tell her when I got back from doing it, exactly where and what I had just done.
I arrived back from disclosing, and we sat down and spent the evening crying with each of us supporting the other. It was a very hard night. Just two days later, we would go together to do my video evidence. Teresa has been my rock and I am forever grateful.
The police went to see my dad, cold so to speak. They wanted to talk to him before I did, which was fine by me. I told my 3 brothers together soon after.”
It seems unthinkable that this sort of abuse could happen at professional clubs. I asked David what measures he’d like to see clubs take to ensure the abuse he suffered never happens to other innocent children, left under adult supervision. He says “The abuse scandal that is happening within football at this time, is ongoing. The inquiry being carried out by the FA is ongoing too. I am sure things will come out of this to improve the situation, but can you stop sexual abuse within football or anywhere else? Mandatory reporting will certainly help and is – as always – being looked at. Things have no doubt improved since the 70s and 80s, but the facts speak for themselves and it’s still going on today. Football Coaches are in a unique position of getting both children and parents close and supportive, and a chance to spend time each week to worm their way into families. Parents and clubs need to improve communications and hold club safeguarding nights – as well as starting to talk to the children directly.
Every three months the statistics produced within football continue to increase. I believe more people will continue to come forward, especially when the current situation comes to the forefront, early next year.
The whole system needs to be reviewed when dealing with cases of CSA, especially non-recent cases. No priority is given to those cases from the start unless the accused is seen as a current safeguarding concern. Resources are very tight and investigations take far too long. The process is far too slow. Communication along the way can be poor.
The key tests to get through the CPS are difficult to prove in non-recent cases also. Often, no support is offered to the survivors. So many things could be improved within the system. Most importantly though, people in these positions have to be fair and professional, as well as consistent in their approach. Survivors are treated differently by all police forces and CPS regions.
Schools and parents should open their eyes to CSA. It’s happening all around them every single day.
Training is essential, as schools could – and should – play such a massive role. Around 70% of sexual abuse to a child, is done by a family member – very often in the child’s own house, which makes it a very hard situation to report to other family members. Schools need to pick up on the signs, which are very recognisable with training. Parents need to understand the scale of this and again look for change. First and foremost it’s understanding this.”
David campaigns now, to raise awareness of CSA and has run three half-marathons and one full marathon this year, as well as completing a 24-hour walk, all to raise awareness and funds for counselling for survivors of CSA for a Blackpool-based Charity.
He also delivered a successful awareness campaign called #purplefriday on 15th September 2017, which was so successful that it reached almost 12 million people on Social media alone. “Due to this, we are also running a very similar campaign to raise awareness of both CSA and CSE on 15th December this year called #purplechristmas, to raise awareness to hopefully keep this subject on people’s minds as we lead up to this special period for children, and keep them safe, so hopefully many more have a Merry Christmas this year.
Talk to your children. Know where your Children are. Listen to your children.
Jason Holyhead 