A series of football players who claim to have been sexually mistreated by women’s football managers in the 1990s have bravely shared their experiences of the manipulative and deliberate exploitation they faced. The Gardaí are now investigating these allegations of immoral sexual conduct following a collective inquiry by RTÉ and the Sunday Independent.
Subsequent to the allegations of unethical relationships with team members and non-consensual sexual advances, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has temporarily barred three former trainers involved in women’s football. These so-called ‘stand-down orders’ prevent these male coaches from participating in any official Irish football activities. The charges refer to supposed misconduct dating back to the 1990s.
Prior to the airing of the documentary ‘RTÉ Investigates: Girls in Green’ on Sunday evening, a group who have chosen to identify themselves as Sportswomen Against Abuse issued a statement through the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) of Ireland. The statement reflected the distressing emotions that have shaped their lives over the past quarter of a century. They discussed having repressed their feelings and mistakenly believed they were the only victims.
The group admitted to blaming themselves, concealing their shame from loved ones but revealed that their understanding of the systematic, calculated abuse they endured has evolved over the past couple of years. Their statement insisted on their resilience, unity and determination to prevent a similar fate befalling anyone else. They insisted that their future goal would be to gain strength from their ordeal for the benefit of future generations.
While women’s football has fortunately come out from the shadows, the victims collectively agreed that their experiences should serve as guiding lessons for the future. They expressed hope that the FAI and other sporting bodies across Ireland would take significant measures to prevent such incidents from reoccurring under their management.
The victims have now given their case over to the Gardai’s jurisdiction and have requested respect for their private lives and the legal proceedings. They extended their gratitude to journalists Mark Tighe and Marie Crowe from the Sunday Independent and RTÉ respectively, as well as the PFA Ireland, the Garda Technical Bureau, and all the individuals who offered advice and support during their meetings.