“Absolutely shocked by the accusations”: French skater Sipre suspected of harassing a minor

Obscene photos for pizza and blackmail from trainers

A major sexual scandal involving the famous French "greenhouse" Morgan Sipre made the effect of an exploding bomb in the world of figure skating. Up to this point, the athlete’s reputation was crystal clear and he attracted attention exclusively by his performances in a duet with Vanessa James. Together they became the bronze medalists of the 2018 World Cup in Milan, and last year they won the Grand Prix finals in Vancouver and the continental championship in Minsk.

Now Sipre may face serious problems, because such a story, and even with the participation of a minor, is unlikely to have a beneficial effect on the career and future of the 28-year-old athlete.

Sipre is accused of sending in December 2017 two photos of erotic content to a girl with whom he worked at the same ice rink in Wesley Chapel (Florida). As reported by USA Today, the message was sent from the Frenchman's verified account on Instagram.

In this story, it was reported that another adult could be involved - Vinnie Dispenza, a coach working at the same Advent Health Center ice rink. It is noted that it was he who supposedly suggested the victim and her minor girlfriend to ask Sipre to send them obscene photographs. In exchange, he promised the girls pizza.

It is reported that a 13-year-old girl whose parents turned for help suffered from the actions of Sipre. At the same time, USA Today does not name their names.

Moreover, it is alleged that everything happened at the end of 2017, when the Frenchman was preparing for the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, and the scandal with sexual harassment of a minor was completely useless to him.

In this regard, according to USA Today, the French coaches - World Cup bronze medalist and three-time US champion John Zimmerman and his wife, five-time Italian champion Silvia Fontana - tried, having learned about what happened from Dispenza, by means of blackmail to convince the victim and her family not to contact the police . They allegedly rested on the fact that Sipre needed to prepare for the Olympic Games, and the girl’s recognition would upset the whole of France.

Also, according to the publication, they tried to explain to her that she herself was to blame for what happened, because she is a beautiful girl, and "men have their own needs." It is reported that he also participated in blackmail and Dispenza, who threatened that the athlete would never again practice at the ice rink in Wesel-Chapel if the story was publicized.

Interestingly, the girl’s teacher also knew about the incident, who wrote a letter to her psychologist Dara Bushman.

“She is told that, having told the truth, she will set against herself fans of the French team; that she is just one of those girls (who collect such photographs); that she herself asks for it with her choice of clothes; remind her that her father is a lawyer and advise him to imagine what he will do if he finds out; indicate that she will ruin a career for herself and her partner, and much more, ”he said.

In turn, Bushman turned to the police, but the young skater refused to communicate with representatives of law enforcement agencies. Nevertheless, however, the SafeSport American Sports Safety Center has already begun verification of what has happened.

“We deny the allegations and look forward to clarifying the situation”

Sipre himself gave a rather lengthy comment about the incident.

“I can’t tell you anything about this issue. I mean, I have nothing to say about this charge. I absolutely, absolutely have nothing to say about any of this, so I apologize, I can’t talk to you, ”USA Today quotes the Frenchman.

In turn, Zimmerman, Fontana and Dispenza issued a joint statement.

“We are completely shocked by the allegations made recently in this article. SafeSport did not contact us, and at the moment there are no complaints against us. We adhere to the highest standards of safety and professionalism. We deny the allegations and look forward to clarifying this situation, which we take very seriously, ”reads their appeal.

Finally, the United States Figure Skating Federation said they would not tolerate such unlawful acts and abuses, and called on all who have been abused to report this to the SafeSport Sports Safety Center, local law enforcement agencies, or directly to the federation.

Wagner harassment and suicide after charges

Note that this scandal related to harassment of minor skaters in the United States is far from the first. So, in August, Olympic medalist Ashley Wagner was noted with loud recognition.

“In June 2008, when I was 17, I was at the skaters training camp in Colorado. We had a party, I had never tasted alcohol before and at the end of the evening I wanted to sleep. I was offered a free bed, and I, without hesitation, agreed. At night a man went to bed with me, began to kiss me. I woke up, I was scared, I asked him to stop. He stopped touching me and left. The next morning, he acted as if nothing had happened. It was John Coughlin, ”said the athlete in an interview with USA Today.

However, Wagner was only one of several skaters who spoke about harassment from Coughlin. In December last year, he was accused of violence, and already in January committed suicide. He was only 33 years old.

After that, Caflin's former partner on ice Bridget Namiotka admitted about sexual harassment on his part. As for John's career, his highest achievement was the silver of the 2012 World Team Championship in Tokyo. He also twice won the US national championship.