PARIS (AP) – A one-year French national effort to discover and combat sexual violence in sport has identified more than 400 coaches, teachers and other suspects of abuse or cover-up.
Most of the victims were under the age of 15, according to data released Friday by the Ministry of Sport. The alleged abuse included sexual assault, harassment or other violence.
Sixty people have faced criminal cases, more than 100 have been temporarily or permanently removed from their positions and local investigations are ongoing for other cases, the ministry said.
The abuses affected the entire country and the entire sector, with complaints directed to a total of 48 sports federations.
Of the accused, 96% are men. Of the victims, 83% were women and 63% were under 15, the ministry said.
The investigation was launched in February 2020 after the 10-time French skating champion Sarah Abitbol said in a book that she was raped by coach Gilles Beyer from 1990-92 when she was a teenager. Beyer has received preliminary charges of sexual assault and the investigation is ongoing.
In the wake of Abitbol’s accusations, more skaters demonstrated to denounce the coaches’ alleged sexual violence. The sports ministry set up a dedicated platform for the testimony of athletes and conducted a year of hearings.
In its statement, the ministry called Abitbol’s testimony “a historic moment for French sport”, which raised awareness and pressured authorities to crack down on abuses. A new law on tougher screening of sports educators, including volunteer coaches, came into force on Friday, and the French government and sports federations pledged to respond more quickly and effectively to reports of abuse.