Former AFL legend Barry Cable acquitted of historic child sex abuse charges
Consensus Summary
Former Australian rules footballer Barry Cable, 82, was acquitted of seven historical child sexual abuse charges in the Perth District Court on April 20, 2026, after a judge-only trial. The allegations involved abuse of a girl aged eight or nine at his Perth home in the late 1960s, with Judge Michael Bowden ruling that while he believed the alleged victim was likely telling the truth, the prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Cable denied the charges, which included five counts of indecent dealing and two counts of unlawful carnal knowledge. The trial faced challenges due to a 2023 report of the abuse, the death of potential witnesses, and incomplete records from the alleged victim’s time at an orphanage. Three women provided tendency evidence of separate alleged abuse, though they were not part of the criminal charges. Cable’s son defended his father’s character, stating the allegations contradicted the family’s knowledge of him. Separately, a 2023 civil trial found Cable liable for abusing another girl from 1968, awarding her $818,700 in damages, though he was bankrupt and the money was not paid. The verdict provides closure for Cable and his family, though critics argue the system failed victim-survivors.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Barry Cable, 82, was found not guilty of all seven charges of historical child sexual abuse in the Perth District Court on 2026-04-20
- The charges included five counts of indecently dealing with a girl aged under 13 and two counts of unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 13 between 31 December 1966 and 31 December 1969
- Judge Michael Bowden ruled that while he believed the alleged victim was likely telling the truth, he was not persuaded of Cable’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt
- The alleged victim claimed Cable abused her at his Perth home in the late 1960s when she was aged about eight or nine
- Cable played for Perth in the WAFL and North Melbourne in the VFL, winning two premierships with North Melbourne (1975, 1977) and being inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996
- A civil trial in 2023 found Cable liable for abusing a girl over five years from 1968, awarding her $818,700 in damages, though Cable was bankrupt and the money was not paid
- Three women gave tendency evidence during the trial that Cable sexually touched them in Victoria and WA, though they were not part of the criminal charges against him
- Cable’s son, Shane Cable, stated outside court that the family was pleased with the verdict and that the allegations were inconsistent with their knowledge of Barry Cable
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Cable was elevated to legend status in the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2012
- He won the WAFL’s Sandover Medal three times and played in four premierships in WA
- The alleged victim accused Cable of abusing her while his wife slept in another room
- Cable was regarded as one of the greatest players of his era in Victoria and Western Australia
- The alleged victim reported the abuse to police in 2023 after seeing Cable on television, which triggered memories
- One of the tendency witnesses, who was also a civil complainant, stated the system had failed victim-survivors and that the shame lies solely with Cable
- Cable was stripped of his Australian Football Hall of Fame honours following the civil trial
- The alleged victim told the court Cable initially treated her well like an uncle before the abuse began
- The alleged victim was living at an orphanage before staying at the Cable home, but no records confirmed her stay or absence from the orphanage
- Helen Cable testified the alleged victim had never stayed at any of their homes in suburban Perth and did not know about the orphanage
- A detective testified there were no records showing Cable picked the girl up from the orphanage or that she was absent for weeks
- The alleged victim claimed the abuse occurred in Scarborough, but the Cables never lived there
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian and ABC state the alleged victim claimed Cable abused her in Scarborough, but Helen Cable testified they never lived there, and the ABC notes this inconsistency
- The Guardian and ABC mention Cable was stripped of his Hall of Fame honours, but only the Guardian explicitly states this occurred after the civil trial
- The ABC notes the alleged victim’s stay at the orphanage lacked records, while the Guardian does not mention this specific detail
Source Articles
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Former footballer Barry Cable cleared of historic child sex abuse charges
The 82-year-old was accused of abusing girls in the 1960s but was acquitted in Perth despite judge finding the alleged victim was probably telling the truth Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The former champion footballer Barry Cable has been acquitted of a slew of historical child sexual abuse charges despite a judge finding the alleged victim was likely telling the truth. The 82-year-old faced a judge-only criminal trial over allegations he abused a girl aged about e
Former footballer Barry Cable found not guilty of sexually abusing child
Former Australian Rules footballer Barry Cable has been found not guilty of sexually abusing a child in Perth in the 1960s.