Soccer star Andrea Neil calls for judicial inquiry into sports abuse in Canada

A former captain of Canada's women's soccer team is calling for the federal government to launch a full judicial inquiry into abuse in sports across the country.

Andrea Neil, who made 132 appearances for Canada between 1991 and 2007, spoke to members of Parliament on Thursday, saying "nothing can change until we turn the lights on and reckon with where we are."

Neil also spoke out against how Canada Soccer handled allegations of bullying and sexual abuse against Bob Birarda, a former coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps and U-20 national women's teams.

Birarda pleaded guilty last February to three counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual touching involving four players, and was handed a sentence of two years less a day in November, including nearly 16 months in jail.

Neil says Canada Soccer did not protect the players who came forward with allegations and should not have allowed Birarda to keep his coaching license after he was dismissed by both the Whitecaps and the national sporting organization in 2008.

She told the Standing Committee on the Status of Women's meetings on the safety of women and girls in sport that she wants the government to commit to a comprehensive forensic audit of Canada Soccer's finances and publicly disclose how funding is being used and why.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2023.