Former Football Legend Barry Cable Found Not Guilty in Historic Abuse Case
Former Australian Rules football champion Barry Cable has been acquitted of all historic child sexual abuse charges following a judge-only criminal trial in Perth. The 82-year-old faced seven charges relating to allegations from the late 1960s, with the judge delivering a not guilty verdict despite acknowledging the alleged victim was probably telling the truth.
Judge's Verdict: Truth but Not Proof Beyond Doubt
District Court Judge Michael Bowden delivered the verdict on Monday, stating that while he found the alleged victim's account credible, the evidence did not meet the criminal standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt. "I have scrutinized the evidence with great care," Judge Bowden said, noting the significant forensic disadvantages caused by the lengthy delay since the alleged incidents occurred.
The judge specifically acknowledged that he considered it "more probable than not" that the alleged victim was telling the truth about Cable having the "tendency alleged," but ultimately concluded the evidence was insufficient for criminal conviction. Cable was acquitted of five counts of indecent dealing with a girl under 13 and two counts of unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 13, with all alleged incidents occurring between 1966 and 1969.
Allegations and Trial Details
The criminal trial centered on allegations that Cable abused a girl aged approximately eight or nine years old at his family home in the late 1960s. The alleged victim testified in March that she stayed with Cable and his wife for about a month, initially experiencing kindness before the situation changed dramatically.
"He was loving toward me like an uncle... then things changed," she told the court. "He started touching my body." The abuse was alleged to have involved penetrative sex on multiple occasions when Cable's wife was asleep. The woman reported the alleged abuse to police in 2023 after seeing Cable on television, which she said "brought back memories of what he had done to me."
Family Reaction and Civil Case Background
Outside the court, Cable's son Shane expressed the family's relief at the verdict. "Dad is someone who's always inspired so many people through his football," he said, adding that the allegations were "at extreme odds" with the man they knew. He stated that his parents could now "live out their final years in dignity" with closure.
The criminal trial followed a separate civil case in 2023 where another woman was awarded $818,700 in damages after a judge found Cable had abused her over five years beginning when she was 12. That civil trial judge noted there was "compelling evidence" the former footballer had violated other children. The complainant in that case revealed Cable had declared bankruptcy before the civil trial and she had not received the awarded damages.
Tendency Evidence and Survivor Responses
During the four-day criminal trial in March, three women gave tendency evidence alleging Cable had sexually touched them in both Victoria and Western Australia. Outside court following the acquittal, one of these women, who was also the complainant in the civil case, expressed disappointment on behalf of herself and other alleged victims.
"The system has failed his alleged victim-survivors," she stated. "No matter what, we no longer feel silenced, not ashamed. The shame lies solely with him."
Football Legacy and Fallout
Barry Cable enjoyed an illustrious playing career throughout the 1960s and 1970s, representing Perth and East Perth in the WAFL and North Melbourne in the VFL before transitioning to coaching in both leagues. Following the civil trial findings, Cable was stripped of his Australian Football Hall of Fame honors, marking a significant fall from grace for the former football star.
The case highlights the complex challenges of prosecuting historical abuse allegations, where significant time delays create forensic disadvantages for defendants while survivors seek justice decades after alleged incidents occurred. The differing standards of proof between civil and criminal proceedings have resulted in contradictory outcomes for Cable across the two legal processes.
