Figure skating in France is mired in a crisis caused by widespread cases of rape and sexual harassment, which have become known recently. Not even a week after the bronze medalist of the World Championships Sarah Abitball accused her former coach Gilles Beyer of depraved actions against her, as the scandal reached a national scale and even affected the country's first lady Brigitte Macron.

The prosecutor’s office began a preliminary investigation into the cases described in the Abitball book, “Such a Long Silence,” which was published on January 30. The 44-year-old athlete described how in the early 1990s she became a rape victim by Beyer, while still a minor. Soon after, the French media talked about how the coach, along with his colleagues Jean-Roland Racle and Michel Lotzem, committed sexual acts against several more skaters.

“In addition to the facts mentioned in the book, the investigation will seek to identify any other victims of similar crimes,” said Paris Prosecutor Remy Eitz.

Beyer managed to admit that he was in intimate relationship with Abitball, calling it unacceptable. The 62-year-old trainer, who had been a member of the executive committee of the French Ice Sports Federation (FFSG) for four years and who last week held the position of chief manager of the club "France Shuttle", repented and apologized to the skater, noting that he had his own point of view on the events.

The scandal with Abitball and other skaters also became interested in Brigitte Macron. As it became known to Le Parisien, the seven-time winner of the European Championships herself sent her autographed book to the wife of the head of state and offered to meet. The story of the former skater impressed Macron, and she invited Abitball to the Champs Elysees, but the date of the meeting will not be announced so as not to attract the attention of journalists.

“The topic of protecting children is close to Macron’s heart. She made several trips in connection with this, ”a source from the first lady’s entourage said.

The skater harassment of the skaters could lead to a change of leadership for the FFSG, which since 1998, with a break of three years, has been led by Didier Gayage, a former skater who spoke at the same time as Beyer. He has a mixed reputation in the world of figure skating because of an incident during the 2002 Winter Olympics when he put pressure on Judge Marie-Ren Le Gun.

According to Abitbol, ​​Gayage has unlimited influence within the federation, thanks to which he managed to cover his associates involved in sexual scandals. In 2000, when Beyer already received complaints from the parents of one of the skaters about his inappropriate actions, the FFSG hushed up the case, and the coach continued to work in the team.

Now, the Minister of Sports of France Roxanne Marasinyanu urged Gayage to resign amid all the negative phenomena associated with figure skating in the country. She called the investigation launched by the prosecutor’s office “landmark” and met with the head of the FFSG, after which he announced that he did not intend to leave the organization.

“As president of the federation, I will wait for the results of the investigation before deciding on the resignation requested by the Minister of Sports,” France24 quotes Gayage.

Later, the president of the federation called a press conference. There he reiterated that he did not intend to leave his post, called himself an imperfect but pure person, and recalled that cases of sexual harassment are recorded in other sports. Gayage noted that he himself should not be held responsible for cases of thirty years ago, about which it became known only now, but condemned the cases made public.

“I am very depressed in connection with the current situation, the seriousness of which I am well aware of. I trained, directed these girls who have already become women today, I know them well. I treat them very well. I was shocked by the realization of the regrettable fact that a woman’s life could be broken or irreparably turned upside down due to the fault of a bastard who took advantage of her innocence. There are no words that would express my disgust. This hidden side is not a federation! This is not a bunch of sexually preoccupied perverts of a rape culture. Since when did we abandon the presumption of innocence? My reputation is tarnished because of some scum, ”said Gayage.

Aside from the scandal in figure skating in France, there were no representatives of other sports. The Athletes' Commission of the French Olympic Committee, which includes the famous figure skater Natalie Peschala, freestyle artist Ophelia David and judoka Teddy Riner, published an open letter urging that more attention be paid to the problems of sexual violence in sports.

“We can no longer be silent! It is time to act together and realize that breaking silence means serving the sport, ”the letter said.

In the statement of the athletes, a proposal was made to create a structure independent of sports federations, which would anonymously accept complaints from victims and transfer them to the Ministry of Sports and the prosecutor’s office, as well as check coaches and club staff for criminal records. Any proven case of sexual violence should result in immediate dismissal and a ban on working in sports, the commission demanded.