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.