I have taken a great deal of consideration as to whether I should share some of my information. After seeing @EllisOReilly1‘s harrowing story on ITV last night and the subsequent response from Europa Centre, I feel I have no option but to respond.
In a statement to ITV News Europa Centre denied any wrongdoing & said “The welfare of children is always of paramount importance to us, and we were therefore shocked and saddened to hear these claims. We have always sought to place the welfare of gymnasts at heart of what we do.”
A physical assault complaint was made to British Gymnastics about a coach hitting a 10 year old child. British Gymnastics failed to report this event to the police or even take statements from named witnesses.
“We were all doing conditioning together and [CHILD] wasn’t doing it properly. [The coach] sent her out of the group and told [CHILD] to condition by herself. [CHILD] went into the back gym to do an arm set. She still wasn’t doing it properly, at this point [the coach] stormed into the back gym and shouted at [CHILD] and got so angry that she slapped [CHILD]. When [CHILD] came out of the back gym she had a big red hand print on her thigh where [the coach] had slapped her so hard.”
The only information considered in their ‘investigation’ was a written report from another child. Further complaints of emotional and physical abuse were submitted during the investigation from other concerned parents.
Again, no witnesses or children were asked to expand on these written complaints. It appears these complaints were framed as malicious as the following information was offered to the panel who were considering the case.
‘It appears that [name removed] as a young coach had been manipulated by parents and when she moved to her new club with a supportive management team the parents were not happy as all decisions went through the club management’.
The outcome of the physical assault investigation coupled with reports of emotional and physical abuse undertaken by British Gymnastics is as follows –
This clearly states Europa Centre were asked to put additional safeguards in place to ensure ‘there are no further incidents of this nature by [name removed] or any other coaches within the club.’
Clearly this did not happen. A number of years later, and following further complaints regarding a coach at Europa Centre a letter was written to the Safeguarding Lead at British Gymnastics highlighting the case. 2 paragraphs from this letter are below.
It is clear both British Gymnastics and Europa Centre were aware of serious safeguarding and welfare issues within their respective settings. Both failed to respond to these appropriately. Both enabled an abusive coach to thrive. Child abuse was accepted in the name of medals.
See links:
Ireland’s first female gymnastic Olympian ‘forced to quit or face life in a wheelchair’
British Gymnastics admits ‘error’ for not telling girl’s parents about abuse claims