Bryce Cartwright abortion scandal: NRL women’s expert has ‘deep concerns’ over claim
EXCLUSIVE: Penrith Panthers boss Phil Gould said today revelations of Bryce Cartwright’s $50,000 abortion pay-off to an ex-girlfriend had hit the player ‘like a bolt of lightning’.
NSW
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PENRITH Panthers boss Phil Gould said today revelations of Bryce Cartwright’s $50,000 abortion pay-off to an ex-girlfriend had hit the player ‘like a bolt of lightning’.
“We’re giving Bryce all the support we can give him ... and from his perspective he thought this was all settled a long time ago so what happened on the weekend has hit him like a bolt of lightning,” Gould said today.
The Panthers’ general manager said the club “had our own investigation in the last 24 hours about the situation ... to satisfy ourselves that everything has been done aboveboard”.
“Everyone here at Panthers is part of the family and we have the utmost respect for women in the workplace.
“I don’t want anyone thinking we were backing away from this particular reporting.
“We’ve had no contact from this young lady at all — she’s never called us or written to us.
“If at any time she feels a need or wants to come discuss the matter she can come see me at any time.
“I’ve had a couple of discussions with Bryce over the weekend. I’m satisfied in this respect that Bryce did as well as any young man could in the situation.”
Meanwhile, the NRL’s top expert on dealing with women says using a footy fixer to pressure a girlfriend into an abortion is “appalling”, after the Panthers yesterday insisted they were blindsided by the claims of a $50,000 payment made on behalf of their star player Bryce Cartwright.
Professor Catharine Lumby, who has advised the NRL on cultural change and education programs for more than a decade, last night called on the code to investigate the matter.
“I also want to express my deep concern, if the facts are substantiated, that any culture of secrecy, silencing and bullying exists in the NRL game, particularly at club level and particularly if it involves third-party brokers to pressure young women who feel they have been harassed or used,” Professor Lumby said.
Penrith tried to distance themselves from the scandal last night. “Panthers board and management had no prior knowledge of these allegations,’’ Panthers group chairman David O’Neill said in a statement.
“At no stage has the club communicated with ‘Miss X’ or directed any other person on behalf of Panthers to do so.’’
The revelations completed a miserable weekend for the Panthers who were thrashed 42-10 by the Dragons.
The Daily Telegraph contacted Penrith general manager Phil Gould last October when the woman was still pregnant and had been unable to contact Cartwright.
Gould declined to take her contact details and told The Daily Telegraph he would speak to Cartwright’s manager.
The woman, known as Miss X, was paid $50,000 to abort the unborn child of Cartwright, who was also dating another woman when she fell pregnant.
Miss X, who said she gave the $50,000 to charity, said the NRL integrity unit needed to look into where the money negotiated by former Panther player and footy fixer Lou Zivanovic came from.
“I am really disappointed they won’t investigate. I can only say the truth about what happened. Hopefully my speaking up like this means other women will come forward as well,” she said.
“What I never understood is everyone at the club knew this situation was happening and not once did anyone reach out to me to check on my welfare.”
Cartwright remained tight-lipped yesterday about this issue.
An NRL spokesman said: “The NRL believes this is a private matter and has no comment to make.”
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Prof Lumby said it was “very rare” for women to make up allegations of this kind.
“As the pro-Bono gender adviser to the NRL on education, I would be appalled if it is the case that any woman was pressured with money, or offensive text messaging, to terminate a pregnancy, that is a terrible decision for any woman to make and I offer my full support to any woman in that situation,” she said.
Professor Lumby said the issue went to the “heart of standing up for women’s rights in a male-dominated culture”.
“And I expect and hope that the NRL would look deeply and closely into this issue.”
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