Celtic pay out five-figure sum to sexual abuse victim

Celtic have paid a five-figure sum to a victim of historic sexual abuse, settling a case a month after it started.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, raised a legal action after claiming he was attacked by Frank Cairney at Celtic Boys Club in 1989. Cairney was a coach at the boys club.

The club originally denied liability but have now paid an out-of-court sum.

Cairney, from Viewpark in North Lanarkshire, was previously convicted of nine charges of abusing young footballers in the 1980s and jailed for four years in February 2019.

The victim said he had been left with a feeling of shame since the abuse happened.

"When people think of abuse they often think of one act that happened one time, or that it happened so long ago you should just be able to move past it but it simply isn't like getting injured – you can't just limp on until you get better," he said.

"Abusive acts may be physical but the impact, for me, is nearly all mental and the worst of it is a paralysing feeling of shame and it's something I've been dealing with for nearly 40 years.

"It is a strange, confusing and angering feeling – you know what happened wasn't your fault yet at the same time you feel responsible for it… then you get angry at yourself for letting yourself get affected by it."

Frank Cairney convictions

The victim added that multiple authority figures had not acted on his complaints about Cairney shortly after the abuse happened.

"In terms of the settlement, I feel like I've finally been heard because shortly after the attacks I spoke to multiple authority figures yet no-one listened or took meaningful action," he said.

"It's been tough to get here but I'm proud of myself for not giving up and I'd really encourage others to not give up on their own hopes for justice either."

Legal papers lodged at the Court of Session claimed the victim suffered sexual abuse at the hands of Cairney in 1989.

Richard Pitts, partner at the Digby Brown legal firm and a specialist in historic abuse claims, said he was proud of his client for persevering with the case.

Cairney, who is now 90, was jailed in 2019 after being convicted of nine charges in connection with the sexual abuse of boys.

A later examination of facts hearing ruled he also indecently assaulted three boys between 1978 and 1989.

Last year, a lawsuit against Celtic from 24 victims of historical sexual abuse ended with settlements totalling more than £1m.

Celtic FC had previously claimed it was not linked to the boys club and said it was a "separate entity".