{"id":10853,"date":"2022-10-27T11:00:46","date_gmt":"2022-10-27T00:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/?post_type=institutions&#038;p=10853"},"modified":"2026-04-16T11:04:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T01:04:34","slug":"sports-abuse","status":"publish","type":"institutions","link":"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/institutions\/sports-abuse\/","title":{"rendered":"Offending Institution: Sports Abuse"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong><i>WARNING: This article includes references to suicide which some readers may find upsetting. Reader discretion is advised.<\/i><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Royal Commission<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> held private sessions with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.playbytherules.net.au\/resources\/articles\/royal-commission#:~:text=The%20Commission%20held%20private%20sessions,of%20abuse%20in%20that%20period.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">408 survivors of sexual abuse in Australian sports and recreational settings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. For most, the abuse occurred for up to 12 months and happened on multiple occasions. The perpetrator was often a single male adult in a position of power \u2014 an instructor, a leader or a coach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The amount of child abuse occurring at all levels of sport in Australia is atrocious. Institutions like the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/institutions\/gymnastics-australia\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gymnastics Australia<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and Swimming Australia have been heavily criticised for their failure to protect young people from abuse and for their inability to handle complaints.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn the truth about Australian sports and contact us to discover your options. Help is never far away.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>The worst offending sports in Australia<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-martin-pechy-1436145.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10860 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-martin-pechy-1436145.jpg\" alt=\"teen sitting alone\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-martin-pechy-1436145.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-martin-pechy-1436145-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-martin-pechy-1436145-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-martin-pechy-1436145-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-martin-pechy-1436145-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/man-sitting-on-bench-near-track-field-while-sun-is-setting-1436145\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pexels<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clearinghouseforsport.gov.au\/kb\/sport-participation-in-australia\/participation-statistics-and-trends#:~:text=Almost%20two%20thirds%20(65%25),months%20prior%20to%20the%20survey.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">42% of Australian kids<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">participate in some form of organised sport every week. Parents and guardians drop their kids off for training and matches, assuming their children will have fun, learn new skills and, most importantly, feel safe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sadly, this is not always the case.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From gymnastics to cricket, softball, tennis, swimming and even Surf Lifesaving Clubs, kids around Australia have been subjected to the worst kind of physical, sexual and psychological abuse at the hands of \u201ctrusted\u201d adults.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve broken down some of the worst-known offending institutes below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Gymnastics Australia<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/jacob-rice-xTrueWHsCE0-unsplash.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10859 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/jacob-rice-xTrueWHsCE0-unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"gymnast\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/jacob-rice-xTrueWHsCE0-unsplash.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/jacob-rice-xTrueWHsCE0-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/jacob-rice-xTrueWHsCE0-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/jacob-rice-xTrueWHsCE0-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/jacob-rice-xTrueWHsCE0-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/xTrueWHsCE0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unsplash<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2021, the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) completed an independent review of the allegations of physical, sexual and emotional abuse within Gymnastics Australia. It was found that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-05-03\/gymnastics-australia-report-human-rights-commission-culture\/100111962\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the sport enabled a culture of abuse<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that many current and former gymnasts described as \u201ctoxic\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The review found that:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Current coaching practices created a risk of harm and abuse for athletes<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The \u201cwin at all costs\u201d culture increased the risk of athletes being injured<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The constant stress, abuse, and pressure led to young gymnasts hating and rejecting the sport<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is still accepted that young gymnasts reach their peak in their pre-pubescent years and are thrust into elite sports before they\u2019re physically and emotionally prepared for it<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The focus on the \u201cideal body\u201d resulted in the development of eating disorders among athletes that often continued long after leaving the sport<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Complaints of abuse from athletes were not adequately addressed by the sport\u2019s governing bodies, and young gymnasts were not being protected<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There was an insufficient understanding of what constituted \u201cchild abuse\u201d and no focus on preventing it.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interviewed gymnasts also spoke about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-05-03\/gymnastics-australia-report-human-rights-commission-culture\/100111962\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">strength and stretching exercises their bodies simply could not handle<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If they cried, the stretching would last longer and become more painful, and they were actively discouraged from reporting injuries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sexual misconduct was also rife and occurred during training sessions, in public and hidden spaces. Unwanted affection and touching were common. The gymnasts would use <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-05-03\/gymnastics-australia-report-human-rights-commission-culture\/100111962\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201csigns and signals\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to avoid certain coaches and situations on any given day\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parents were discouraged from watching training sessions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Swimming Australia\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/serena-repice-lentini-TVOAbbLL050-unsplash-1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10858 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/serena-repice-lentini-TVOAbbLL050-unsplash-1.jpg\" alt=\"swimming\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1282\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/serena-repice-lentini-TVOAbbLL050-unsplash-1.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/serena-repice-lentini-TVOAbbLL050-unsplash-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/serena-repice-lentini-TVOAbbLL050-unsplash-1-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/serena-repice-lentini-TVOAbbLL050-unsplash-1-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/serena-repice-lentini-TVOAbbLL050-unsplash-1-1536x1026.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/TVOAbbLL050\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unsplash<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2021, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-06-10\/tokyo-olympics-maddie-groves-pulls-out-of-swimming-trials\/100206470\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Olympic swimmer Maddie Groves withdrew from the Tokyo Olympic trials<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, tweeting that she would not stand for female swimmers being exploited.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Let this be a lesson to all misogynistic perverts in sport and their bootlickers,&#8221; Groves tweeted.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;You can no longer exploit young women and girls, body shame, or medically gaslight them and expect them to represent you so you can earn your annual bonus. Time&#8217;s UP.&#8221;<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This followed Maddie\u2019s 2020 complaint to Swimming Australia about a \u201cperson that works at swimming making me feel uncomfortable the way they stare at me in my togs\u201d. Her complaint went nowhere, and the individual was allegedly promoted. She had also been r<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com.au\/more-sports\/swimming-australia-issues-unreserved-apology-to-women-and-girls-over-historic-abuse\/news-story\/a4df9dd92280f7547a05299f2bbdf6bf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">epeatedly sexually assaulted between the ages of 13 and 18<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by someone who still worked for the organisation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It wasn\u2019t until Maddie went public that Swimming Australia launched an independent investigation into the abuse of women and girls within the sport (females made up 60% of the six million participant base).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In June 2022, Swimming Australia released the report\u2019s findings. The panel spoke to 150 participants, including former and current athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and administrators. Representatives of Swimming Australia said the findings were \u201cdifficult to read\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Swimmers were sexually harassed and abused<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Swimmers were \u201cmanhandled\u201d by their coaches, sometimes leaving bruises<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Swimmers were left feeling burnt out, discouraged from the sport and, in some cases, suicidal<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Female swimmers were judged based on what they were eating<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Female swimmers as young as 12 were complimented for losing weight<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Female swimmers felt they were chastised for going through puberty and gaining weight<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some coaches made the girls weigh themselves on the pool deck, often in dripping-wet swimwear<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coaches and staff members at all levels of the sport made inappropriate comments about the girls\u2019 bodies.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><b>Abuse wasn\u2019t limited to the girls\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Boys were also subjected to sexual harassment and abuse. There have been multiple reports of sexual abuse by a swimming coach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One former swimmer had dreamed of competing in the Sydney Olympics, but his dreams were cut short when <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-10-05\/former-elite-swimmers-accuse-their-coach-of\/13571138\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the coach abused the teen over a period of six months<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 1998 in a world championship event in South Africa.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;My whole life, I had to lie to people and tell them that I wasn&#8217;t good enough to go to the [Olympic] Games. It just wasn&#8217;t for me,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;And today, I can tell people that I was good enough but that my dreams were destroyed by this horrible man.&#8221;<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Australian Olympian Shane Lewis also complained about the coach to Swimming Australia in 2016. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-10-05\/former-elite-swimmers-accuse-their-coach-of\/13571138\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lewis was sexually abused by the coach from the age of 11 to 13<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which haunted him for the rest of his life. He made multiple suicide attempts before tragically passing away in February 2021.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Softball Australia<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-chris-f-12783350.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10857 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-chris-f-12783350.jpg\" alt=\"softball mit\" width=\"1279\" height=\"854\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-chris-f-12783350.jpg 1279w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-chris-f-12783350-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-chris-f-12783350-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-chris-f-12783350-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1279px) 100vw, 1279px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/sport-ball-game-fun-12783350\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pexels<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In an interview with the ABC, an unnamed survivor told reporters she had no idea she was being groomed by her coach when she was 14 years old. Her coach had singled her out and made her feel special \u2014 she was flattered by phone calls and letters and the encouragement to move interstate for the sport.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Soon, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2022-07-31\/softballer-who-says-she-was-groomed-blocked-in-bid-for-redress\/101285950\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the relationship turned sexual<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and she no longer had control over the situation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Later in life, when her own daughter started playing softball, the memories started flooding back, and she launched a civil claim against Softball Australia. She said they were liable, but Softball Australia denied any responsibility and said they \u201cdidn\u2019t have insurance for these sorts of things\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Cricket Australia<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/alessandro-bogliari-oDs_AxeR5g4-unsplash-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10856 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/alessandro-bogliari-oDs_AxeR5g4-unsplash-1.jpg\" alt=\"cricket ball\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1285\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/alessandro-bogliari-oDs_AxeR5g4-unsplash-1.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/alessandro-bogliari-oDs_AxeR5g4-unsplash-1-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/alessandro-bogliari-oDs_AxeR5g4-unsplash-1-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/alessandro-bogliari-oDs_AxeR5g4-unsplash-1-768x514.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/alessandro-bogliari-oDs_AxeR5g4-unsplash-1-1536x1028.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/oDs_AxeR5g4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unsplash<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cricket Australia has a lot to answer for, especially when it comes to one of their coaches.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the more \u201ceccentric\u201d things the coach asked the boys to do was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2022-09-03\/matthew-rose-speaks-out-about-ian-king-abuse-in-cricket\/101389718\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">strip naked and practice their bowling action down a hallway in front of a mirror<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, so he could \u201csee what their muscles were doing\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He also asked the boys <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2022-09-03\/matthew-rose-speaks-out-about-ian-king-abuse-in-cricket\/101389718\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how often they masturbated and how thick their penises were<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. He would put pornography on the television and encourage the boys to watch and masturbate, or he would offer them oral sex.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Coach is now in prison for sexually abusing schoolboy cricketers. Survivors have said Cricket ACT and Cricket Australia have not shown them any compassion, compensation or public acknowledgement and have done little to stop further abuse from happening.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another survivor has also launched a civil claim against Cricket Australia for the trauma, distress and abuse he suffered during the 1985 Australian under-19 tour of India and Sri Lanka. On the tour, the team&#8217;s doctor, multiple boys were abused by the team\u2019s doctor<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Surf Lifesaving Australia<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/jon-callow-qVpz_Edawvk-unsplash.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10855 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/jon-callow-qVpz_Edawvk-unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"surf lifesavers\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/jon-callow-qVpz_Edawvk-unsplash.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/jon-callow-qVpz_Edawvk-unsplash-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/jon-callow-qVpz_Edawvk-unsplash-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/jon-callow-qVpz_Edawvk-unsplash-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/jon-callow-qVpz_Edawvk-unsplash-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/qVpz_Edawvk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unsplash<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Surf Lifesaving Australia has come under fire for allowing \u201cNippers\u201d to be abused under the care of club members.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2021, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au\/news\/gold-coast\/gold-coasts-currumbin-vikings-surf-club-rocked-by-child-sex-abuse-allegations\/news-story\/62fd1999c5cc17d122c3b4fa98f5b177\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">two Nippers were allegedly sexually abused at the Currumbin Surf Life Saving Club<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on the Gold Coast in the 1980s and 1990s. The boys were both under the age of 12 at the time, and the case involved repeated sexual assault. Their cases were not linked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIn both matters, there were instances of sexual abuse that occurred during overnight sleepovers at the Club,\u201d a Club representative said.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe sexual abuse in both of these matters, despite being perpetrated by different individuals linked to Currumbin Surf Life Saving Club, occurred when these clients were lured into the bathrooms and away from their teammates.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another boy was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.townsvillebulletin.com.au\/truecrimeaustralia\/police-courts-townsville\/historic-abuse-allegations-linked-to-nq-surf-life-saving-club\/news-story\/67dae43dce71ffeaf5fc365a587d3296\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">repeatedly sexually abused between 1993 and 1996 at the Arcadian Surf Life Saving Club<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in North Queensland. He suffered a \u201cconstant cycle of shame and guilt\u201d and turned to amphetamines at 15-years-old to cope with the trauma and feelings of disgust.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The survivor has since recovered and launched a personal injury claim against the perpetrator.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Tennis Australia\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/christian-tenguan-FidoLuUvKK8-unsplash.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10854 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/christian-tenguan-FidoLuUvKK8-unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"tennis players\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/christian-tenguan-FidoLuUvKK8-unsplash.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/christian-tenguan-FidoLuUvKK8-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/christian-tenguan-FidoLuUvKK8-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/christian-tenguan-FidoLuUvKK8-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/christian-tenguan-FidoLuUvKK8-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/FidoLuUvKK8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unsplash<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2017, Tennis Australia was criticised for its total lack of action following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse\u2019s findings regarding the sexual abuse of young tennis players.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was found that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2017-02-02\/tennis-australia-alleged-coach-abuse\/8226810\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tennis NSW disregarded the welfare of a 15-year-old player<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> who experienced inappropriate remarks and behaviour from the NSW state junior coach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tennis Australia apologised to the people involved and reviewed its child and whistle-blower protection policies, but this frustrated the abuse survivors involved in the investigations. Suggested measures like a complainant hotline were still in the planning phase months after the Royal Commission concluded.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Feature <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/atSaEOeE8Nk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unsplash<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":10861,"parent":0,"template":"","categories":[251],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10853","institutions","type-institutions","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-institutional-abuse"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Offending Institution: Sports Abuse - Kelso Lawyers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/institutions\/sports-abuse\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Offending Institution: Sports Abuse - Kelso Lawyers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"WARNING: This article includes references to suicide which some readers may find upsetting. 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