header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
11 March 2022 / David Mayor , Alastair Gillespie
Issue: 7970 / Categories: Features , Sports law
printer mail-detail

Abuse in sport—the tip of the iceberg?

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
74284
David Mayor & Alastair Gillespie look at the potential for litigation arising from the sportsfield, amid a spate of allegations
  • There has been a rise in disclosures of non-recent abuse in sport, some dating back years.
  • The courts are sympathetic to reasons for delaying litigation, such as shame and stigma.
  • Looks at cases and potential litigation in football, rugby and other sports.

So great has been the increase in disclosures of non-recent abuse in sport that it seems that hardly a day goes by without a dark, depressing headline, drawing the reader to yet another traumatic tale of verbal and physical assault, inappropriate sexual activity or other degrading behaviour inflicted on young people who endured abuse and humiliation because they felt they had to in order to continue pursuing their dreams.

Earlier this year it was reported that Gabonese football has been rocked by sickening allegations of sexual abuse perpetrated by its president, Patrick Assoumou Eyi, during his time as head youth coach and technical

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Partner joinscorporate and finance practice in British Virgin Islands

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Firm strengthens children department with adoption and surrogacy expert

Penningtons Manches Cooper—Graham Green

Penningtons Manches Cooper—Graham Green

Media and technology expert joins employment team as partner in Cambridge

NEWS
Read All
NLJ this week: Divorce ‘nuclear weapon’ freezes assets but entangles outsiders
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
NLJ this week: What counts as ‘rent’? Court says labour alone won’t do
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Your magistrates’ court needs you!
Thousands more magistrates are to be recruited, under a major shake-up to speed up and expand the hiring process
LexisNexis Legal Awards 2026—the winners!
The winners of the LexisNexis Legal Awards 2026 have now been announced, marking another outstanding celebration of excellence, innovation, and impact across the legal profession
NLJ this week: Freed but failed—justice system leaves the innocent empty-handed
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll