INTERVIEW
A few months after a wave of scandals of sexual assault in French sport, the time has come. And the report is overwhelming. Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu said Wednesday that nearly 180 people are involved in alleged cases of sexual violence in sport. The former swimmer detailed these figures on Wednesday evening on Europe 1.
"With this milestone we can measure the extent of the phenomenon. Nearly 2,000 emails arrived at the Sports Ministry, with 177 alleged and accused aggressors. Among the cases reported, there are 40 federations. They are all affected, with older and more modern sports, "said the minister.
"A phenomenon that I did not measure"
The series of scandals began last December, with an edifying investigation of the Disclose website, along with other media, on "major dysfunctions" in the handling of cases of pedophilia in sport. Then, in the following weeks, the world of skating had been shaken by several revelations of sexual assaults on several skaters, leading to the resignation of Didier Gailhaguet, the former all-powerful president of the French Federation of Ice Sports (FFSG ).
"When I arrived at the ministry in 2018, I carried this desire to enter into the training of sports educators to talk to them about teaching and pedagogical methods vis-à-vis young people. Behind all this, there was a phenomenon that I could not measure, thanks to the media and the testimonies of the victims, "confessed Roxana Maracineanu. "These cases of verbal abuse sometimes hid far more serious abuses, including sexual abuses."
"The federations must be responsible"
Nearly 90 legal proceedings are under way concerning these cases in the world of sport and 16 people are currently imprisoned. But the Minister of Sports notes a difference in awareness of the problem depending on the discipline.
"There is a level of commitment by the presidents of federations which varies and which can be interpreted negatively. When there is a large figure in certain federations, it is also necessary to read the commitment of transparency. And when there is has no figures available, it is because the Federation is not engaged in this area. Sport must participate in this collective effort to free up speech, "insisted Roxana Maracineanu, aware of the work to be done to end sexual violence in sport.
"We must, by all means, be able to act on sports associations. The town halls must be aware of what is going on there and the federations must be responsible. The ministry must be there to act, that is to say systematically report to justice, verify that the investigations go to the end and then be able to take administrative and federal measures to remove these adults, when necessary, "concluded the minister.