AFL legend Barry Cable sued over sexual abuse allegations
An AFL legend is being sued over allegations he sexually abused a teenager in the 1960s and 1970s, it can be revealed after a court order was lifted.
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Australian Rules great Barry Cable is being sued over allegations he sexually abused a Perth teenager at the height of his playing career.
Until now, Mr Cable’s identity had been suppressed by order of the District Court of Western Australia.
Mr Cable, 79, has denied the allegations and has never been charged by police.
The woman, who cannot be named, commenced proceedings in 2019 and claims that between 1968 - when she was aged 12 - until 1973 she was sexually abused by Mr Cable.
She is claiming damages for psychiatric harm and has also claimed that she was subject to sexual harassment from 1974 until 1991.
The court was told that Mr Cable has been declared bankrupt and there will be no funds available if there is a judgment for any costs.
Judge Mark Herron also said Mr Cable would not take part in the upcoming five-day trial.
Judge Herron on Tuesday lifted a series of suppression orders ahead of a civil trial which will begin on Wednesday.
“In my view, the reasons and justification for making the orders anonymising the name of the defendant and suppressing the public reporting of the proceedings in a way which might tend to identify him, and the further order preventing a non-party from having access to court documents in the proceedings, are no longer relevant or necessary,” Judge Herron said in a judgment handed down on Tuesday.
Mr Cable has been described as one of the game’s greatest ever rovers and won two VFL premierships and four WAFL titles in a career spanning 17 years before his retirement in 1979.
He played 379 games across stints at Perth, North Melbourne and East Perth.
He was a two-time All Australian and was given legend status in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
He went on to have a distinguished coaching career at Perth, East Perth and North Melbourne.
Originally published as AFL legend Barry Cable sued over sexual abuse allegations
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