Journalist calls for change in law to tackle child abuse in sport

Adrian Goldberg, who is also a West Bromwich Albion fan, recently released a film exploring an historic child abuse scandal linked with Celtic Boys Club.

In the film, The Celtic Boys Club Scandal, he interviews a survivor and family members of a victim, who claim that senior figures at the club and Celtic Football Club itself must have been aware of the rumours of abuse, but did nothing.

While Celtic FC has expressed sympathy for those who suffered abuse, it has always insisted Celtic Boys Club operated as a separate legal entity.

But Mr Goldberg, who will be a familiar voice to many in the region as a former BBC WM host, and the families and survivors feel the club should acknowledge its "corporate responsibility" and offer practical support.

Mr Goldberg said the case also highlighted the need for "mandatory reporting" to become a legal requirement, meaning anyone with a reasonable suspicion that a child is being abused is legally obliged to report it.

He said: "Researching this film made it clear how important the issue of mandatory reporting is.

"This wouldn’t necessarily stop the abuse, but had there been a law of mandatory reporting it would not have been able to flourish.

"People would have had a legal obligation to report their suspicions."

Response

Mr Goldberg’s film is the first time the different strands of the scandal have been brought together in one place and presented in a coherent timeline.

He said it had received a huge response, with more than 53,000 views since its release on March 13.

Mr Goldberg said he first had the idea to make the film after he interviewed Michelle Gray, sister of abuse victim Andrew Gray, for his podcast.

The podcast had 6,000 listens in just a few days and one listener suggested he should make a film.

"I realised there was more to the story than the interview could bring out. I started doing a bit of digging and found there was much more to tell," he said.

To view the film, visit youtube.com. To listen to the podcast, visit podcasts.apple.com.