France: Sexual violence scandal in sport

Paris. A national campaign against sexual violence in sport in France has exposed more than 400 coaches, teachers and other figures suspected of committing or covering up abuses.

Most of the victims were under the age of 15, according to data released by the sports ministry after a year of investigations. The alleged abuses include assault, harassment and other types of violence.

Sixty people are facing criminal charges and more than 100 have lost their jobs temporarily or permanently. Other cases are under investigation, the ministry said.

The abuse spans the entire country and numerous disciplines, with allegations to a total of 48 sports federations.

96% of the accused are men. 83% of the victims are women and 63% are under the age of 15, the ministry said.

The investigation was launched in February 2020 when 10-time French skating champion Sarah Abitbol said in a book that coach Gilles Beyer raped her several times between 1990 and 1992, when she was a teenager. Beyer has to answer preliminary charges of sexual assault and the investigation continues.

Following the Abitbol allegations, other skaters denounced the alleged sexual violence of the coaches. The sports ministry created a platform to receive testimonials from athletes and held hearings for a year.

The ministry said in a statement that Abitbol’s testimony constitutes “a historic moment for French sport” that has raised awareness and prompted authorities to crack down on abuses. From Friday, stricter rules for the evaluation of sports teachers, including volunteer coaches, apply. The government and sports federations are committed to responding to allegations of abuse more quickly and effectively.

Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu has played a crucial role in raising awareness. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, the former swimming champion described her own experiences with sexism and said it is time to change French mindsets in the face of women’s rights in the male-dominated sports world.

At a government meeting on Friday to assess the campaign against sexual violence, Abitbol said it is “healing” and is pleased to see other victims make complaints publicly, the L’Equipe newspaper reported. Former tennis champion Isabelle Demongeot described the “battle” she had to wage against the public and her teammates in accusing her coach of rape. Former hammer thrower Catherine Moyon de Beacque, the first to publicly denounce the abuses in 1991, praised the current measures facing “the highest level in the state.”