It was always in the Public interest

David Lean was a child destined for a great future in football. He loved football and can’t remember a time without it in his life. He explained “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 also dreamed about football 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 parents at parents evening that “my brains were in my feet! Dad was happy but a little worried about this comment. Mum was devastated!”

From the age of two he had played every week at his local YMCA and soon joined their team. He also played for his high school team and his home town Blackpool school boys. He had trials with Blackpool FC before spending 2 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 humbly “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 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 I would never disclose till after mum had passed. This was 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 just 5 days after mums funeral and disclosed. The police were the first people I ever told”. He told me.

“If I'm honest having to Disclose and put my elderly dad through all this 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 saw my abuser convicted before he passed away just 6 months after, on his deathbed hours apologising to me.  It was NEVER his fault or my 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 evidence test and public interest as well as you 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 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 I was credible and the evidence test met too!!!”

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 after 7 months eventually after 2 meetings of a group headed by the Top officials of both police and CPS I won !!  The CPS were told to 're look at my case with the NEW prosecution guidance my case had brought in. Effectively my case changed the law allowing cases of CSA where only a short sentence may be handed down could still be seen as within the public interest.

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 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”.

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 2 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 life's 

“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 how hard this has been for her. Teresa has no idea when we met and although she was the first loved one I told after disclosure to the police we had only been together around 4 years at that time. I had no idea how she would take it. To make matters worse within her role in Nursing  at times she was dealing with CSA Offenders. Soon after 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 when that date arrived..

..I had asked Teresa after my mums funeral, during a weeks 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 2 days later we would go together to do my videoed 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 on going. The inquiry being carried out by the FA is on going 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 have a unique position of getting both children and parents close and supportive and a chance to spend time each week to worm thier 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 3 months the statistics produced within football continue to increase! 

I believe more will continue to come forward, especially when the current situation comes to the forefront early next year.

The whole system needs review when dealing with cases of CSA especially non recent cases. No priority is given to the 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 to 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 important though is 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.

I campaign now to raise awareness of CSA and have run 3 half Marathons and 1 full Marathon this year as well as completing a 24 hr walk all to raise awareness and Counselling funds for Survivors of CSA for Blackpool based Charity

I have also run a successful awareness Campaign called #purplefriday on the 15th September which was so successful 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 peoples minds as we lead upto 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.