Moray sexual assault victim urges others to come forward
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A SEXUAL assault victim from Forres is urging others to come forward and report their cases after nearly 40 years of "drumming up the courage" to speak out against his abuser.
After this paper's report on the assaults committed by John Henderson, match secretary at Forres Mechanics in the late 70s and early 80s, one of his victims – who was 14 at the time – came forward to tell his story.
The man was referred to as 'N' in a recent review of historic sexual abuse in Scottish football, and will continue to be referred to as such to protect his identity.
MORE: Forres Mechanics welcome review into historic sexual abuse.
It took N until 2017 to tell the police about his case, but he said Police Scotland were "fantastic" when he did so. Now he hopes his story can help other victims come forward.
He said: "It took me the best part of 40 years to drum up the courage to pick up the phone and speak to somebody about it.
"At the time, I was embarrassed, I didn't think I'd be believed and I decided just to walk away from football.
"Then, in 2017, I watched a documentary about abuse in football and wondered if somebody had come forward mentioning John Henderson's name and was alone. If so, I wanted to support them and, from my own point of view, get it off my chest.
"My experience with John Henderson was a horrible one but my experience during the inquiry was a positive one. It wasn't easy to sit and go through it in detail but the police were fantastic.
"Many people may not be able to come forward due to the position they find themselves in. They may not feel strong enough to do it. For me, it's about encouraging people to tell their stories.
"The more it's out there the more people will come forward. It might just mean that Mrs Smith turns to her lad and says 'other people have had positive experiences, you should go forward' or a friend might encourage another friend to come forward.
"I hope that is the outcome of the review, too."
N told the independent review into historic sexual abuse in Scottish football that Mr Henderson touched his private parts over his shorts on several occasions, mostly in the players' dressing room.
He also said Mr Henderson attempted to pull his shorts down at Grant Park before he managed to get away.
N has now told of how he was "groomed" by his attacker, with Mr Henderson becoming involved with his family.
He said that the club secretary became somebody he viewed as a "mentor".
"Looking back, Henderson cultivated me over a period of two years," he said. "He became a trusted figure in my home.
"This wasn't a smash and grab, for want of a better phrase, this was a long, sustained effort to groom me. He embedded himself in my family.
"I'd get home from a game and he would be in my living room having a drink with my family.
"My father didn't believe me when I told him what had happened and, although my mother did, I think that's all part of the abuse. He was trusted and became a friend.
"From my point of view, I saw him as a mentor, as somebody who was important at the club who was there to guide me through my start in football.
"I was disgusted when it happened. It makes you question everything, your sexuality, if you were responsible, everything."
One positive, N said, is that society has moved on a great deal since the early 80s, when he was assaulted.
He believes allegations of assault are treated much more seriously these days, and that all clubs have much stricter protocols.
He added: "I was warned about Mr Henderson by other boys and senior players almost straight after joining the club.
"There were rumours but nothing was ever done. When Henderson walked in there was almost like a jeer. He did things in and around the club and in the presence of other players.
"People knew what he was like but were happy for him to hang around the changing rooms.
"It was seen as a joke. Society has moved on since then and I accept things have changed.
"If my instance had been reported, there maybe would have been an internal investigation. I'd like to think that any allegation now would be subject of a multi-agency investigation."
The investigation into John Henderson found that nobody at Forres Mechanics knew of his actions, with the case never officially reported at the time.
Mr Henderson has since spent time in jail for the abuse and remains on the sex offender's register.
N has gone onto to lead a successful life with loving relationships.
