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‘Not safe for me and my kids to support David’: Candice Warner makes stunning revelation after crowd abuse in Adelaide
The incident took place in the first session on Saturday, when her children wished to see their father David Warner, who was engaged with the match.
David Warner's wife, Candice, who was attending the second Test between Australia and West Indies, was subjected to “vile abuse” by a section of fans. Reacting to the appalling behaviour, the former ironwoman said that she now feels cricket to be an “unsafe place” for her and her family.
Candice made the stunning revelation while speaking on at Triple M’s Summer Breakfast along with Harley Breen and Tom Tilley. She said the incident took place in the first session on Saturday, when her children wished to see their father, who was engaged with the match.
“Saturday afternoon at Adelaide Oval, just before the lunch break, the girls wanted to see their dad. So we went from one area of Adelaide Oval to the other. It was probably about 200m.
“In that time, I had two of my three daughters, my eight-year-old and my three-year-old, we were walking hand-in-hand, and as we’re walking past a huge group of people, it was a group of five or six men who just started throwing vile abuse at me.
“I continued to walk and then I just stopped and I looked around at this group of men and it was one guy in particular. And they were laughing and they were pointing. And they thought what they did was okay.
“So I decided to confront them. I didn’t have to, but with my girls in my hands, I thought it was really important to confront them because for us, my actions need to mirror the messages I give to my kids.
“So I confronted them and like any group of men who have been drinking, they were weak, they were gutless, they didn’t own up to what they did and the man who was actual yelling this abuse was hiding behind his friend,” she said.
Tilley further asked Candice to elaborate what she actually said to the fans.
“I said ‘Do you feel good about yourself, trying to intimidate me, to belittle me, embarrass me in front of my kids? You clearly don’t have kids yourself, it’s not okay. It’s not okay to bully someone, it’s not okay to make fun of other people’,” she said.
“The thing that disappointed me was, one, the fact they thought it was funny, two, that they couldn’t own up to their mistake, but the fact that in a packed stadium, when they could see a mother with two kids clearly in distress, my girls were upset, not one single person came to my assistance. Not one.
“The sad thing is that in a time when we’re trying to encourage more women, more girls to participate in sport, to attend sport, that I’m now starting to feel like it’s not safe for me and my kids to attend sport and support their father.”
Giving insights on her personal life, Candice said she plays dual role of both mother and a father due to Warner’s international schedule, and “won’t allow my girls to see their mum be bullied, intimidated. It’s not what I stand for.”
The incident comes at a time when the Warner family is dealing with a lot regarding David's leadership ban. The southpaw was handed a lifetime ban from leadership positions following the infamous Sandpaper-Gate incident in 2018.
Warner had shared a lengthy note in this regard on social media last week, where he announced that he was withdrawing from Cricket Australia's process.
