Paul McGirr today hit out at the Australian Rugby League Commission’s anticipated announcement to stand down players charged with serious offences.
Mr McGirr said it was “diverting the criminal justice system” by seeking to take action against star St George Illawarra player Jack De Belin, who has been charged with aggravated sexual assault by NSW Police, and that civil action against the NRL was possible.
“If he’s not playing football, his earning capacity reduces. The thing with Rugby League is that you’re on show in relation to your capacity to earn more money. He wouldn’t be able to play. Third parties, sponsorships, endorsements, everything. No one would want to touch him with a barge pole, all on the basis of him being punished without any finding from any court. In essence, it could break his career,” Mr McGirr told the Daily Telegraph.
“It has nothing to do with his conduct of going out, drinking, partying, or anything else. It’s the fact an allegation has been made - if that’s what they’ve taken their action over, I don’t agree with it. People are innocent unless proven guilty. Some people say ‘until’ - it’s not until. It’s innocent unless you are proven guilty.”
The case could take 18 months to proceed through the courts to finality and if found not guilty, Mr De Belin will have been out of the game for a considerable period of time, jeopardising his playing career.
Mr McGirr indicated that the the NRL was clearly reacting to pressure from commentators about ‘violence against women’ which tended to suggest that it had already made up its mind about De Belin.
“I’ve done hundreds of serious offences cases where people have actually been found not guilty,” Mr McGirr said.
“Certainly I don’t condone violence on women in any way whatsoever. But just because someone makes an allegation or someone is charged, that does not mean they are guilty of it. Let’s wait and see what the court system does. What they’re doing is basically saying we don’t condone violence against women. I dare say De Belin doesn’t condone violence against women.”
Mr McGirr later appeared on Macquarie Sports Radio to discuss the matter.
