Paris (AFP)
After skating, judo does not escape the tidal wave of revelations on sexual violence in the world of sport, cracking a little more "the omerta" that would reign in this closed environment.
The awakening is brutal but unfortunately not surprising.
"The phenomenon affects all sports, there is no reason why judo escapes it", explains a source close to the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF).
Of the 313 reports identified by the "integrity unit" set up by the sports ministry since the skating scandal at the start of the year, "seven-eight" relate to judo, according to the Ministry of Sports.
The testimony recently published in the Parisian of a judoka telling to have been raped by her trainer ten years ago, when she was 13, however considerably shook the world of judo, one of the most practiced sports in France with half a million licensees.
- "Inadmissible" -
"This is obviously unacceptable. This must not happen in our sport," laments Stéphane Nomis, ex-judoka, entrepreneur and candidate for the presidency of the federation, whose elections are to be held on November 22.
According to a source familiar with the matter, this case of alleged rape was not reported to the sports ministry, or to the French Judo Federation.
"I am of course scandalized. In our clubs we advocate values that are not these. We have always been on the side of the victims, and we will continue to do so", assured AFP the president of the federation French judo team Jean-Luc Rougé.
The coach in question has since been "suspended" as a precaution.
However, this is not the only case that is rocking judo.
There is for example the case of this trainer condemned by justice in 2007 for "sexual assault on a minor" on one of his students.
After a stint in prison, the man found the tatami mats in a club in eastern France.
While he was prohibited from coming into contact with minors under the age of 15, he nevertheless continued to take care of children, admits a source to the federation who requests anonymity.
Interviewed on a hidden camera by a team from France televisions, the man assumed in a report broadcast in February 2019 to have "resumed children's lessons", in the presence of other teachers.
An offense punishable under the Sports Code of one year in prison.
Normally, professional coaches or educators must be issued with a professional card, which requires a check of the criminal record and the Automated Judicial File of Perpetrators of Sexual or Violent Offenses (Fijaisv).
"There are clubs which do not ask for a professional card, and there are volunteers who do not know the rules", admitted Jean-Luc Rougé.
There is also the case of this judo teacher in Nantes, sentenced in December 2019 for having had sexual relations with a 13-year-old student in 2016 when he was 34. According to several media, this teacher continues to train , while it is only supposed to deal with an adult audience.
"It is a complicated, difficult subject, and our educators, our coaches are not trained. There is an omerta. We do not dare to say things", estimates Stéphane Nomis, for whom these matters should engage the federal direction to "an examination of conscience".
Jean-Luc Rougé met on Tuesday with the Minister of Sports Roxana Maracineanu, who was to join the young woman who testified in the Parisian.
- "Free speech" -
"We discussed the strategy to put in place," explained Jean-Luc Rougé.
"It does not happen only to others (federations, editor's note), and very often in addition, these people are very appreciated. It is very hard to detect them. We call on people to speak, to free the floor, they will be protected. "
The integrity check, which will verify the criminal records of volunteers, should be generalized from 2021. "But that will not be able to solve everything", had confided several weeks ago a source close to the file.
Unconvicted predators or registered volunteers who impersonate will remain difficult to detect.
© 2020 AFP