Former footballer Barry Cable cleared of historic child sex abuse charges

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Former Australian Rules footballer Barry Cable has been acquitted of historical child sexual abuse charges in Western Australia, in a case that highlighted the difficulty of prosecuting decades-old allegations.

The 82-year-old former North Melbourne player faced trial in the District Court in Perth on seven charges relating to an alleged victim who was a girl aged about nine or ten at the time, in the late 1960s. On Monday, Judge Michael Bowden delivered a verdict of not guilty on all counts.

The case was heard without a jury, resulting in a judge-only trial. According to the ABC, Australia's public broadcaster, the alleged victim, now in her 60s, gave evidence via video link and provided a detailed account of the alleged abuse. She told the court she had stayed at Cable's suburban Perth home while living at an orphanage, and alleged the abuse occurred when Cable's wife was asleep.

Coverage comparison

Reports from the two outlets covering the story broadly agree on the key facts of the case: the not guilty verdict; the nature of the charges; and the lack of independent evidence that the alleged victim stayed at Cable's home.

However, there are differences in emphasis. The Guardian's report included several details not present in the ABC's account, such as the judge's specific reasoning and the civil case that preceded the criminal trial. The Guardian also reported that the judge found it “more probable than not” that the alleged victim was telling the truth, while the ABC's report focused more on the procedural elements of the trial.

The ABC reported testimony from Cable's wife, Helen, who said the alleged victim had never stayed at any of their homes and that she had no knowledge of the orphanage. The Guardian's report also noted that the judge acknowledged the “lengthy delay” in the case posed significant forensic disadvantages for Cable.

Key Claims

• Not guilty verdict: Barry Cable was found not guilty of all charges by Judge Michael Bowden, according to both the ABC and The Guardian.
• Alleged victim's testimony: The alleged victim, aged nine or ten at the time, gave evidence via video link, describing the alleged abuse in detail. The crime is alleged to have occurred while she was living at an orphanage and staying briefly with Cable and his wife.
• Judge's reasoning: Judge Bowden said, as reported by The Guardian, that he had scrutinized the victim's evidence with great care, given the lengthy delay and forensic disadvantages, but that he could not be persuaded of guilt beyond reasonable doubt, despite finding it more probable than not that she was telling the truth.
• Wife's testimony: Cable's wife, Helen, testified that the alleged victim had never stayed at any of their homes and that she relied on detectives to show there were no records evidence of the victim staying to show she ever was absent from the orphanage for the relevant period.
• Tendency evidence: Three women gave evidence during the criminal trial about alleged sexual misconduct by Cable when they were children, but he was not on trial for those alleged offenses.
• Related civil case: The Guardian reported that a separate civil trial in 2023 concluded Cable had abused the same girl over five years had, and the defunct allegedly awarded her damages of $818,700. The ABC did not mention this civil case.

Perspectives

The Court's Perspective: Judge Bowden, in his verdict, stressed the need to apply the criminal standard of proof. He found the lack of independent evidence—such as records from the orphanage—important in undermining the case to criminal level, even though he believed the victim was more likely than not truthful. He considered the historical nature of the claims and where declines to convict due to evidentiary gap.

The Victim's Perspective: The alleged victim, who reported the abuse to police in 2023 after seeing Cable on television, has been supported by the judge's finding that it was more likely than not that her account was truthful. The civil court previously found in her favor, recognizing the abuse and awarding damages. The criminal acquittal does not negate the civil findings, but she may continue to maintain her account.

The Cable Family's Perspective: Cable's son, Shane, speaking outside the court as reported by The Guardian, welcomed the verdict and said the allegations were at odds with his father's character. He said his father's family believed the verdict brought closure after a long trial. The family can proceed to live out their years in their remaining lives, in their own view.

Context and Corrections

Both reports are from Monday, April 20, 2026. The Guardian noted that the allegations first surfaced in 2023 when the victim saw Cable on TV and then reported the matter to the police. The delay in reporting, along with the historical nature of the offense, was a key factor in the trial, as the judge noted. There was no contemporaneous evidence of the abuse, and the witnesses' credibility was a central issue.

As is standard in such cases, the not guilty verdict does not necessarily establish that the alleged events did not occur, but rather that the prosecution did not meet the high burden of proof required for a criminal conviction.