Former footballer Barry Cable cleared of historic child sex abuse charges

The 82-year-old faced a judge-only criminal trial over allegations he abused a girl aged about eight or nine at his family home in the late 1960s.

The former Australian Rules player returned to the Western Australian district court in Perth on Monday for Judge Michael Bowden’s not guilty verdict on seven charges.

“I have scrutinised [the alleged victim’s] evidence with great care, bearing in mind the lengthy delay and the significant forensic disadvantages that the delay causes to Mr Cable as outlined, and the lack of independent, objective supporting evidence,” Judge Bowden said.

“That leads me to conclude that while ... Mr Cable has the tendency alleged and I consider it more probable than not that she is telling the truth, I am not persuaded of guilt beyond reasonable doubt in respect of any count on the indictment and acquit Mr Cable.”

Outside the court, Cable’s son, Shane Cable, said his family was pleased and not surprised by the decision.

“Dad is someone who’s always inspired so many people through his football, dedicated his life after football to community work,” he said.

“The allegations that were made were at extreme odds with certainly the Barry that we know and have loved our whole life.”

Cable and his wife, Helen, now have closure, he said, and can live out their final years in dignity.

Prosecutors alleged Cable abused the girl at his family home when she was staying with him and his wife for about a month.

The alleged victim told the trial Cable treated her well at first.

“He was loving towards me like an uncle ... then things changed,” she said while giving evidence in March.

“He started touching my body.”

The abuse was alleged to involve penetrative sex on multiple occasions when the former North Melbourne player’s wife was asleep.

The woman reported the alleged abuse to police in 2023 when she spotted Cable on television, telling the court during the trial it had “brought back memories of what he had done to me”.

Cable denied and was acquitted of five counts of indecent dealing with a girl aged under 13 and two counts of unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 13 between 31 December 1966 and 31 December 1969.

Three women gave tendency evidence during the four-day trial in March that Cable sexually touched them in Victoria and WA.

Outside court, one of the women, who was also the complainant in a civil case against Cable, said she was disappointed with the outcome.

“The system has failed his [alleged] victim-survivors,” she said, speaking on behalf of herself, the alleged victim in the criminal trial and the other tendency witnesses.

“No matter what, we no longer feel silenced, not ashamed.

“The shame lies solely with him.”

The civil trial in the same court in 2023 found Cable abused a girl over five years from 1968 when she was aged 12. The victim was awarded $818,700 in damages.

The civil trial judge said there was compelling evidence the former footballer had violated other children.

The complainant said Cable declared bankruptcy before the civil trial and she had not been paid the money.

Cable denied the abuse.

He was later stripped of his Australian Football Hall of Fame honours following an illustrious playing career in the 1960s and 70s for Perth and East Perth in the WAFL and North Melbourne in the VFL, going on to coach in both leagues