Lawyer in Nassar case questions validity of investigations into sexual abuse in soccer

Fifa has confirmed its ethics committee is in the early stages of an investigation into multiple allegations of sexual abuse around the world that are understood to include incidents tied to the Vancouver Whitecaps women’s team and its former coach Hubert Busby Jr.

Busby was suspended from his role as head coach of the Jamaica women’s national team late last year after the Guardian reported allegations by a former player that Busby attempted to solicit sex from her while she was being recruited to join the Whitecaps in 2010. Busby has denied the allegations but the Jamaica Football Federation requested Fifa investigate his time in charge of the Whitecaps women’s program.

“We can confirm that Fifa’s independent Ethics Committee is currently gathering information from different parties concerning historic abuse allegations that have been made, which will be analyzed in accordance with the scope and competence of the Fifa Code of Ethics,” football’s governing body wrote in a statement to the Guardian.

It is understood the broad nature of the statement – while also avoiding specifics – means there are multiple cases of sexual abuse under review. “The size and scale of an investigation is on a case-by-case basis and there is no set timeframe,” a Fifa spokesman said.

In the United States, investigations into allegations of sexual abuse by coaches and the failure of organizations to adequately address such claims have been recently announced by US Soccer as well as the National Women’s Soccer League. Canada Soccer and Major League Soccer have also launched separate investigations into allegations of abuse within Canada’s national women’s youth teams and the Vancouver Whitecaps women’s team.

Abuse of players and the failure of