Paris (AFP)
After several resounding cases, French sport can no longer deny, in turn, the issue of sexual violence. But if mentalities change slowly, there is still a lot to do in terms of prevention and awareness-raising, from clubs to authorities, point out actors in the file to AFP.
"Shame is changing camp (...) but the site is colossal", summarizes the former rugby player Sébastien Boueilh, whose association, Colossus with feet of clay, acts in clubs and schools.
The testimony of French figure skating Sarah Abitbol against her former trainer, in a book published on Thursday ("Un si long silence"), and the accusations of other retired skaters come just weeks after a long investigation by the collective of We Report journalists identify dysfunctions in 77 cases that have killed at least 276 victims from 1970 to today.
"The denial that we faced ten years ago is no longer possible," adds Philippe Liotard, sociologist at Lyon-1 and member of the Laboratory on Vulnerabilities and Innovation in Sport (L-Vis).
- omerta -
In November 2017, the players on the ground were taken aback by the positive picture drawn by Laura Flessel, then Minister of Sports, who assured that "there is no omerta in sport".
Director of the French Federation of Omnisports Clubs (FFCO), Denis Lafoux emphasizes, on the contrary, that if club solicitations are rare, it is rather a sign that "the taboo is still valid". "On the ground, we realize that the perception of violence can be very different from one person to another. This shows that there is a lot of awareness-raising work to be carried out," he explains.
A year after the interview with Laura Flessel, her successor Roxana Maracineanu had taken her foot, using the word omerta on purpose and recognizing the specific risks of the sport.
These risks are theorized by specialists. There is "a triple domination: that of men over women, that of adults over children, that of coaches over athletes. There is a form of appropriation of the body of the other, which is justified by performance ", explains Philippe Liotard, from where a potential risk of" hold ".
"These realities, these risks" make "the issue of prevention and central awareness. And on this issue, we are far behind," added the sociologist. "You have to put yourself in the place of a young coach, who is in close proximity to an athlete (...) You have to give him the tools to know where the limits are. The rest of the group must also be sensitized to be vigilant, ask why a coach isolates himself with an athlete, "he explains.
However, "in the training of educators at the state or federal level, these elements are little treated," notes Denis Lafoux.
- "no wind" -
Colossus with clay feet dispenses with a charter of good conduct. "We do not kiss, but rather a + check +; if the child is alone in the car, he goes to the back, not in the passenger seat," details Sébastien Boueilh. "Sometimes you have to explain that you don't take a shower with the kids," he sighs too.
In 2019, the Ministry of Sports mandated the structure for a tour of the Grand Insep (Insep, Creps, national schools), i.e. around 70 interventions, not counting clubs, schools. But "there are 8.2 million licensees under the age of twenty. It's a lot of awareness," warns Sébastien Boueilh.
Roxana Maracineanu announced the organization of a convention on February 20. Since Thursday, it also brandishes the financial threat, even the withdrawal of delegation, towards recalcitrant federations. "Leverage can be funding", she reaffirmed Thursday at AFP, even if this power is now more relative, since it is now shared within the National Sports Agency with the movement sports, local communities and businesses.
"To my knowledge, this is the first that brandishes this threat," notes Philippe Liotard. "But if the skating federation brings back medals, will it be really worried?" He asked, skeptical.
Finally, the Minister launched a sensitive project, hoping to extend the "integrity check" (criminal record, non-registration in the sex offender file) of professional sports educators to all volunteers; a measure that is currently at the stage of experimentation in football in the Center-Val-de-Loire region.
© 2020 AFP