While several scandals of sexual violence have erupted in recent days in the world of sport and in particular skating and horse riding, the ministry is organizing the national convention on violence in sport in Paris at the National Olympic Committee. For Virginie Phulpin, the Minister of Sports must become more involved in combating this scourge.
The Minister of Sports meets this Friday a National Convention for the prevention of sexual violence in sport. For Virginie Phulpin, we have changed the era and this meeting cannot be a stroke of the sword in the water.
Times are changing and fortunately. We are no longer in 2008, when Roselyne Bachelot, then Minister of Sports, launched a major investigation into sexual violence in sport. An interesting survey which showed the dangers run by minors in clubs and federations. A control plan had been drawn up, with a charter of good conduct and an information and communication campaign. The philosophy was good, of course, but it seems so naive today. Signing a charter is almost useless. We realize this, 12 years later, with the testimonies that pour in. You have to type harder, you cannot count on the simple goodwill of one or the other, otherwise nothing changes. Roxana Maracineanu is aware of the urgency. The proof, the Minister convened this national convention very quickly after the multiplication of testimonies of victims.
This meeting, which will make it possible to make a precise inventory of fixtures, must be a starting point. And it's up to the ministry to take matters into their own hands. Why does it have to come from above? Because the federations are all busy right now after the scandals and that we have to coordinate all that. Then the problem is transversal. It affects skating as well as tennis, horse riding, skiing or climbing. So everyone cannot solve the problem in their corner, global solutions are needed. And then some federations clearly failed. The fight against sexual violence is very heterogeneous. It is therefore necessary to standardize the fight and that is the role of the ministry.
Should the department build on existing initiatives?
Virginie Phulpin thinks of the test carried out in the Center Val de Loire region on the 10,000 members of the French football federation. The actors will be heard this Friday, it's a good base. With this test, we check the criminal record of volunteers. For the moment, it is not compulsory but it must become so. Legislation is needed so that volunteers cannot have any history in a sexual violence case.
If the ministry manages everything, it will also prevent convicted educators from quietly moving from one federation to another without being worried.
Roxana Maracineanu begins groundwork. We are clearing, a new meeting is planned for May. These regular meetings are necessary. It is the beginning of a new governance. And frankly, it's more important than the battles of ego to know who will replace Didier Gailhaguet at the head of the federation of ice sports.