VERDICT DELIVERED IN PERTH DISTRICT COURT
Barry Cable, a former champion Australian Rules footballer, has been found not guilty of charges related to the alleged sexual abuse of a child in the 1960s. The verdict was delivered today by Judge Michael Bowden in the Western Australian District Court following a judge-alone trial.
Cable, aged 82, had consistently denied the accusations, which centred on allegations of abuse against a girl then aged about eight or nine at his family home. Prosecutors had contended that the abuse, described as involving penetrative sex on multiple occasions, occurred while Cable’s wife was asleep during the girl's month-long stay.
TRIAL DETAILS AND BACKGROUND
The trial, which concluded more than a month ago, heard testimony from the alleged victim who stated that Cable had initially treated her well. The case involved historical allegations dating back to the late 1960s.
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In the wake of the allegations, North Melbourne Football Club stripped Cable of his life membership and removed him from the club’s hall of fame. East Perth and Perth football clubs also revoked his life membership. Cable was a prominent figure in the sport, notably a two-time VFL premiership player with North Melbourne in the 1970s.
