Sexual violence in sport: the platform of French champions

"We will no longer be able to say that we did not know, because from now on, we will have to make sure to know", announces Marie Martinod, at the moment when the tricolor sport is shaken by revelations on sexual assaults in skating. The double Olympic medalist in freestyle skiing and the athletes who make up the High Level Athletes Commission (CAHN) of the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF) - in particular the ice dancer Nathalie Péchalat, the fencer Astrid Guyart and the skier Ophélie David to express themselves in a forum published in the Parisian-Today in France.

"We consider that our commission is an essential player in French sport," continues Marie Martinod. Our role is to speak out on important matters and these cases of sexual assault are serious. The athletes agreed on the words, the message they wanted to get across. “We are not there to denounce, but also to offer solutions. The more everyone realizes that this subject should no longer be a taboo, the more we will put people who have something to hide in difficulty. "

“Sexual violence: it's time to give voice! "

Finally, a first breakthrough in the wall of silence. Recent revelations of sexual assaults suffered by several young athletes shake the system and awaken our anger. We, high-level French athletes, we feel revolted. Revolted, but unfortunately not so surprised as that… Once revealed in broad daylight, the truth becomes freezing: the isolated case becomes multiple, the monsters omnipresent. How many victims remain huddled in shame and fear? How many could have been avoided?

Thank you to the journalists who took the time to investigate, who first believed the victims to better listen to them. Thank you to these athletes whose powerful testimonies show the strength of soul that sport has taught us to develop. They do not damage the image of sport, they make it grow.

We express our support and solidarity with the victims. As members of the French High Level Athletes Commission, we are responsible by our peers for defending the interests of French Olympic athletes. Each top athlete was first of all a child, a teenager in full construction. He was surrounded by a structure and trained by an educator to whom he entrusted the key to his dreams. If we take up the pen today, it is because we feel responsible. It is our quest for medals that partly shape the performance dreams of the youngest and lead them to push the door of a club. If, for the majority, sport has been a great school of life with values ​​of sharing, mutual aid, support, respect, for others, there is above all suffering and silence.

We also feel responsible, because we have all had doubts, suspicions, scraps of information ... The flagrant crime is rare and it is not easy to know how to react to an intuition or a rumor . What can we say? And to whom? Competition is also selection. However, this does not only depend on our sports performance. It also depends on the will of the breeders and the federations. Too often speaking is risking your future. So, we enter a system where even if we hear, we see, we suffer ... we got into the habit of keeping quiet.

We can no longer be silent! It is time to act collectively and realize that breaking the silence also means serving sport.

We would like to say NO to the leaders, it is not a question of stifling facts to protect an organization, to preserve the image of a club or a federation. NO to coaches, it is not a question of looking away to protect your colleagues or preserve your job. NO to institutions, it is not a question of avoiding the media escalation so as not to tarnish the image of sport. NO to parents, it is not a question of forgetting to continue as before, so that your child accomplishes what you plan for him. These arguments, these logics, erect the walls that protect the aggressors. You have to speak, say it over and over.

YES, we high performance athletes, we want things to change. YES, we have the responsibility that other testimonies will not come out in 20 years. YES, the people involved who let the evil spread have to take responsibility for their inaction. YES, we support the Minister of Sports who has known how to take strong positions and initiate the fight against all forms of violence in the sports environment.

We call for the creation of a victim listening cell, independent of the federations and required to respect the most complete anonymity. A unit capable of entering the Ministry of Sports to allow the launch of administrative investigations and the referral to the public prosecutor.

We suggest that the criminal records and records of volunteers, coaches and leaders of clubs and federations be systematically checked by a neutral, independent cell with the capacity to intervene.

We would like to see the adoption of legislative measures allowing the dismissal of any individual, whatever their status, involved in a case of sexual violence. And the lifetime ban on exercising all trades in contact with young people, whatever the field, for all proven aggressors and sexual predators.

Finally, we are asking for the implementation of training, awareness and prevention actions to educate children, adolescents, coaches and managers in all sports structures.

To all ! Sportsmen, parents, coaches, managers, federation, league, club presidents, volunteers, journalists, doctors, politicians, victims or witnesses, sports lovers, let the wall of silence be rebuilt!

The members of the High Level Athletes Commission of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee composed of: Ophélie DAVID, Astrid GUYART, Marie MARTINOD and Nathalie PECHALAT (editors) Gwladys EPANGUE and Fabien GILOT (co-chairs) Joël ABATI, Valentin BELAUD, Sarah BENCHALI , Kevin BOULY, Matthieu BRELLE-ANDRADE, Gilles CHERDIEU, Margaux CHRETIEN, Souleymane CISSOKHO, Manuel CORNU, Paul-Henri DE LE RUE, Ladji DOUCOURE, Youna DUFOURNET, Gévrise EMANE, Emilie FER, Laurence FISCHER, Thibault GODEFROY, Tatiana GOLOVIN, GOMIS, Gauthier GRUMIER, Olivier GUILLON, Charlotte HYM, Ayodele IKUESAN, Anouck JAUBERT, Ludivine KREUTZ, Franck LAFITTE, Benjamin LANG, Jonathan LAUGEL, Laetitia LE CORGUILLE, Hélène LEFEBVRE, Christophe LEGOUT, Jérôme NEUVILLE, Valérie NICOLASV, Mélonin , Jérémy MONNIER, Sarah OURAHMOUNE, Matthieu PECHE, Carole PEON, Ingrid PETITJEAN, Hongyan PI, Florent PIETRUS, Delphine RACINET-REAU, Romain RIBOUD, Teddy RINER, Isabelle SEVERINO, David SMETANINE, Gaëtane THINEY and Jean-Charles VALLADONT.