A child sexual abuse adviser who helped those who suffered from the Celtic Boys Club scandal has told how paedophiles used the appeal of football celebrity to control children and their parents.
Pat Mair, founder of the charity Talk Now, says stars who dreamed of glory were afraid to speak out, fearing their dreams of a career would be shattered.
And he says that, with health problems, other people, such as convicted owners of a children’s club, Jim Torbett, 76, and Frank Cairney, 88, would exploit parents into thinking they cared about their children’s most productive interests.
She said: “A child has no method of escaping his attacker.
“They have a chance because of the preparation, the young man believes that this user has a lot of strength over him.
“Something bad, terrible, terrible happened, but the other aspect of the coin is that ‘this guy is going to help me. ‘
“He’s the guy who will take me and make me play in Celtic’s first team. “
“Then the confusion that must have reigned for the young man who maybe wanted to tell someone but couldn’t because if he did, what would be the consequences for him. “
Speaking on the Case Against Celtic Boys Club podcast episode, he added: “The authors became friends with the parents.
“What we want to realize is that parents are also very loyal.
“It’s his dream, for his son to play for this soccer team that his family supports and his family before that and his family before that.
“The abuser will communicate to the parents, ‘I’m going to take care of him. I’ll make sure he’s okay. ‘
“They don’t promise the kid that he’ll play on their soccer team, but they also promise his parents. “
We tell how former Celtic FC scout Ken Divers, 78, another patient linked to the boys’ club, went to the home of relatives of one of his victims.
The boy then attempted suicide by jumping in front of a car outside Hampden Park after Divers abused him in a clash between Scotland and England.
The man went on to say that Divers had started visiting him at home to bring him household chores, but that he was too afraid to tell his parents about the alleged abuse.
The man, who is now 66, told Miscellaneous’ trial at Paisley Sheriff’s Court: “I was out of school for a long time and I still couldn’t stop.
“He brought his homework to my mom and dad’s house.
“They thought it was very good of him. “
The predator convicted of attacking players as young as 11 while an instructor at St Aelred and St Andrew’s Academy between 1968 and 1992.
Paisley’s Divers is one of the perverts with links to Celtic Boys Club, as well as founder Torbett, a three-time convict, and veteran manager Cairney.
Mair told podcast abusers that they have relationships with their parents as part of their sinister grooming tactics.
She said: “If the guy abusing them is sitting in their house, the worry and terror this kid feels is out of reach.
“When he sees that, surely this child will be able to communicate with his parents to tell them what’s going on. “
Thompsons Solicitors is representing 28 survivors in a lawsuit against Celtic FC on the grounds that they were closely linked to the now-defunct organisation.
But Parkhead leaders insist the boys’ club is a “separate entity. “
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