Barry Cable found not guilty of historical sex charges
Former North Melbourne AFL player Barry Cable, 82, has been found not guilty of seven historical child sex offence charges in Perth's District Court.
7news.com.auHere’s the latest on Barry Cable, based on recent widely reported coverage:
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In April 2026, Barry Cable, the former AFL star, was found not guilty on seven historical child sex offence charges in Western Australia’s District Court. The judge said there was a careful consideration of the complainant’s evidence but that the prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. This acquittal comes despite earlier civil actions and ongoing public scrutiny of historical abuse cases. [ESPN Australia: D-Day for disgraced football legend Barry Cable — Apr 19, 2026][7News: Barry Cable acquitted of historic child sex charges — Apr 19, 2026] [ABC News: 7News coverage of acquittal — Apr 19, 2026]
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Separately, in 2023, Cable had previously faced civil proceedings where a different claimant was awarded damages for claims of abuse, and his Hall of Fame honours were affected by those civil outcomes. The 2023 civil ruling involved damages awarded to the complainant, reflecting a separate legal route from the criminal case. [ABC News: Barry Cable civil damages — Jun 15, 2023] [7News: acquittal coverage referencing earlier civil outcomes — Apr 2026]
If you’d like, I can pull concise, source-by-source excerpts or set up a quick summary timeline with links to the articles. Also, since you’re in London, I can look for UK outlets or international coverage that mention Cable in the context of Australian football histories. Would you like that?
Citations:
- ESPN Australia article on the 2026 acquittal.[2]
- 7News coverage of the not-guilty verdict.[3][8]
- ABC News overview and related reporting.[4][9]