WA’s top cop confirms contact with alleged Barry Cable victim

It comes after a woman was awarded more than $800,000 in a civil suit she launched against AFL legend Barry Cable.

Western Australia’s Police Commissioner Col Blanch has confirmed his investigators have been in touch with a woman who was alleged abused over decades by AFL legend Barry Cable.

The woman, who can’t be identified, was last month awarded more than $800,000 in a civil suit she launched against Mr Cable, which went before WA District Court Judge Mark Herron in February.

Speaking to ABC radio on Wednesday, Mr Blanch said his offers have been speaking with the woman, and her family, but stopped short of confirming a full investigation was underway.

A WA District Court Judge in June made a civil ruling that AFL legend Barry Cable had abused a woman from the time she was 12-years-old. No criminal charges have ever been laid against the 79-year-old. Picture: 7 News

“We have got to make sure we take every step appropriately through this and support any victim of any sex offence as best we can,” Mr Blanch said.

“Because ultimately, we want justice when there is a suspicion of a crime being committed.

“In a civil case, you have to meet the balance of probabilities, which was met in the recent civil case of this matter … if we are to go to court and be successful, we would have to prove beyond all reasonable doubt, so it’s a much higher standard of proof.

“And all that means is our evidence has to be spot on. And we have to convince either a judge or a jury that this offence was committed beyond a reasonable doubt.”

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch told ABC radio his officers have been in contact with the woman who launched the civil action.

The woman presented the allegations to WA Police in 1998, but the matter was ultimately dropped, as prosecutors felt there wasn’t enough grounds for conviction.

As such, Mr Cable, who will turn 80 in September, has never been charged in relation to any alleged sexual abuse.

The woman in the civil case, who is now aged in her 60s, alleged Mr Cable began abusing her in the late 1960s when she was 12-years-old.

That alleged abuse continued on-and-off until she was in her mid-30s.

Other women came forward to give evidence during the case, allegeding Mr Cable also abused them when he lived in Melbourne during his time as coach of AFL side North Melbourne Football Club.

Judge Herron ruled the abuse had occurred, and awarded the woman $818,700 for “catastrophic” damages — despite the fact Mr Cable declared bankruptcy earlier this year.

Mr Cable did not show up on any day of the civil case, including the verdict.

On Monday, the Sport Australia Hall of Fame (SAHOF) confirmed that after a special meeting it was deemed Mr Cable’s actions were “contrary to the values of the organisation” and he was stripped of his status.

WA Police had no further information or comment on the matter.