More than 500 Canadian gymnasts are calling on Canada’s Minister of Sport to freeze funding to their national sport organization.
In a public letter Thursday to Minister Pascale St-Onge — and after four months of “sharing devastating stories” of years of abuse — “Gymnasts for Change,” a group that represents 508 athletes, reiterates its calls to strict measures.
This includes a third party investigation and suspension of funding, as was done with Hockey Canada.
Their initial request, made several months ago, the group says, was ignored by Gymnastics Canada (GymCan), Sport Canada and “now by your office, and to the great detriment of child gymnasts across the country.”
This letter comes a week after a trainer in Lethbridge, Alta., was charged with sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl.
“Over the past four months, we have publicly bared our souls, sharing stories of the devastating treatment we have suffered at the hands of our sport,” the letter reads. We have called for an independent, third-party investigation to address the systemic culture of abuse that is prevalent in Canadian gymnastics. »
GymCan recently announced that it has commissioned McLaren Global Sport Solutions to conduct a “culture review” of the sport’s national governing body. But the gymnasts rejected this study, because it is “purchased and paid for by the very organization which must be the subject of the investigation”.
Gymnastics for Change group, which originally had 70 members three months ago, is calling for funding to be halted to prevent taxpayers’ money being used for what it sees as a review ineffective and harmful that will whiten the experience of survivors.
Ms. St-Onge froze funding for Hockey Canada following the national organization’s handling of an alleged sexual assault and an out-of-court settlement.
Wave of complaints
Thursday’s letter noted that GymCan and Sport Canada were aware of the potential for a large number of abuse complaints. GymCan CEO Ian Moss told Sport Canada CEO Vicki Walker in August 2020 — in a communication recently published by TSN — “there could be, very soon, a historic wave of complaints of athletes. »
In April 2021, and again in December, the GymCan Board was urged by survivors to launch an independent, third-party investigation into the sport.
The gymnasts released their first public letter on March 28, urging Sport Canada to move forward with an investigation.
“According to this timeline, GymCan and Sport Canada became aware of suspected systemic abuse in gymnastics and had an opportunity to act for at least two years, but did nothing, thus allowing the abuse to proceed against Canadian child athletes without intervention, the letter states. We had hoped for a better, more urgent response from you.”
Emails to Ms. St-Onge, according to Thursday’s letter, went unanswered.
“To date, your office has taken no action to hold GymCan or Sport Canada accountable and all those who presided over this abuse crisis remain in their positions of authority,” the gymnasts wrote. There was no accountability and no meaningful action. . . We will never know for sure if your launching the requested investigation would have prevented this latest devastating example of abuse (in Lethbridge).
“But your inaction sends a clear message to all young gymnasts that abuse in their sport does not deserve your attention; your inaction sends a message to all aggressors and predators that the season is open for aggressors in gymnastics; your inaction sends a message to all accomplices to these abuses that they will not be held accountable if they turn a blind eye; your lack of action makes you more and more complicit. »
Gymnasts say a third-party investigation could provide information to help end abuse in their sport, as well as sending a message to all sports organizations that the government will hold them accountable if allows toxic cultures to persist.
Canada’s first Sport Integrity Commissioner, Sarah-Eve Pelletier, began receiving and processing complaints of mistreatment in sport on June 20. While the office expected to receive a rush of complaints as soon as it opened, it was unclear whether the office will hear any historic complaints.
“Our shared experiences of emotional, physical, psychological and sexual abuse hold valuable truths that must be brought to light if we are to truly change things,” the gymnasts wrote. The stories of survivors must be investigated to understand how abuse has prevailed in the Canadian system for decades. To ignore the past is to risk repeating it. And right now, in gyms across Canada, the past is repeating itself. The abuses are repeated. And children pay the price.
“We need the Sports Minister to work with us to begin the long overdue investigation. We need the Minister of Sports to work with us to begin the long-awaited investigation. The safety of Canadian children depends on your action and your courage,” it concluded.