AFL club Western Bulldogs rocked by historical child sexual abuse scandal

Western Bulldogs chief govt Ameet Bains says the AFL membership is “shocked and dismayed” by revelations the membership was the scene of horrific youngster sexual abuse for a lot of the Eighties.

On Sunday, an ABC Sport investigation revealed the story of Adam Kneale, a younger soccer fan who was sexually abused within the membership’s Western Oval administrative workplaces for seven years between 1984 and 1990.

Now 49, Mr Kneale detailed the harrowing legacy of his abuse, together with the debilitating toll of publish traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD) and nervousness.

“Now we have been shocked and dismayed to be taught concerning the horrible abuse suffered by Adam Kneale within the Eighties, the confronting particulars of which have been set out in as we speak’s ABC article,” Bains mentioned.

“What Adam was subjected to as a toddler — and the influence it has subsequently had on the rest of his life — is heartbreaking and distressing.

“Soccer golf equipment must be a protected and pleasant place for all individuals, particularly youngsters, so Adam’s experiences and the truth that components of this abuse occurred by the hands of a Footscray Soccer Membership volunteer are merely devastating.”

Courtroom paperwork, newspaper archives and membership annual reviews revealed that Mr Kneale’s abuser, the late Graeme Hobbs, crammed quite a lot of roles on the Bulldogs — then generally known as Footscray Soccer Membership — together with chairman of fundraising and Beneath-19 staff room steward.

Membership annuals of the Eighties described Hobbs because the Footscray’s “jack of all trades”, and he was usually affectionately recognized by his nickname, ‘Chops’.

Hobbs used match tickets and season passes to groom younger boys after which sexually abused them within the workplaces on the Western Oval.

He additionally photographed his victims and was later charged for possession of kid pornography.

Police and authorized sources have confirmed to ABC Sport that different boys have been abused on the membership.

“We applaud Adam’s braveness to come back ahead and share the main points of his story and we can’t start to grasp the trauma he and his household have been compelled to take care of for greater than three many years,” the Bulldogs assertion continued.

“Whereas these issues have been investigated by Victoria Police and related authorities within the early Nineties, leading to quite a few expenses being laid, a felony conviction being sustained, and a subsequent jail sentence being served by the principal offender, we perceive and acknowledge that the ache continues to today for Adam.

“The membership will search recommendation from police and skilled companies to make sure Adam and anybody else who could come ahead are appropriately supported.”

Mr Kneale mentioned that, regardless of understanding concerning the crimes dedicated by his abuser since 1994, the Bulldogs had by no means sought to contact him nor supply help. The membership’s president in 1994, Peter Gordon, is a cousin of Mr Kneale’s father.

In a written response to questions from ABC Sport, Mr Gordon mentioned he had no recollection of Adam’s story and “no data of any interplay the membership could have had with Adam nor any supply of help”.

“Till this week, I used to be unaware my cousin, Charles Kneale, had a son named Adam, and I’ve no recollection of listening to of Adam or what you have got described,” Mr Gordon mentioned.

As Bulldogs’ present chief govt, Mr Bains mentioned the membership had now “communicated our want to meet with Adam and his household to offer any direct help we probably can, and to personally convey our sorrow over what he has endured”.

Dennis Galimberti — who was Bulldogs chief govt for a decade between 1986 and 1996 — mentioned that Hobbs was exiled from the membership in 1992, when his grooming of kids got here to the eye of Graeme Pearce, the membership’s chief govt for six months of that 12 months.