Newcastle Under Investigation For Past Instances Of Sexual Abuse

The recent push to address past issues of sexual abuse in English football surfaced in Tyneside Wednesday. Northumbria police confirmed the investigation, which they are calling Operation Tide. This attempt to uncover more information regarding sexual abuse began back in December and was first reported by the Daily Mail.

Newcastle does have ties to these types of situations. Back in 2002, former Newcastle Academy coach George Ormond was sentenced to six years in prison for abusing seven boys at Montagu and North Fenham Boys Club back in the 1970s. Just last year, former Magpie Derek Bell broke his silence and announced that he was one of Ormond’s victims.

Bell warned the team back in the late 1990s of Ormond’s past with sexual abuse while he was still at the club and before he was arrested.

Since the police force launched the investigation, 25 victims have come forward. Ormond is just one of eight suspects from nine different clubs in the region, according to the Mail.

BBC News reported in December that the uncovering of this abuse began in late last year, with about 350 victims coming forward within UK football clubs.

According to the Guardian, Ormond only spent three years as the youth coach at Newcastle and all of his indictments came from his time coaching at Montagu and North Fenham.

The investigation started with Newcastle and has now been broadened because of the number of people that have come forward during the process.

That expansion has led to an investigation into a former Foundation of Light employee as well, according to the Mail.

You can expect these stories to develop in the coming weeks.