South Korea will hold its largest ever investigation into s*xual abuse in sports, its human rights watchdog said on Tuesday.
The move has come after an Olympic speed skating star accused her former coach of abuse to trigger a wave of similar accounts from athletes. The inquiry will aim to address “systematic, sustained†abuse in sports.
This had been hushed up for generations by victims afraid of being banished from their sport, said Choi Young-ae, chairwoman of the National Human Rights Commission. “We will conduct a fact-finding inquiry that will be the largest in scale ever,†Choi told a news conference.
A commission official said up to about 30,000 people — athletes from all sports, coaches, officials and others — are likely to be interviewed over the course of the year-long investigation.
The #MeToo movement has taken off belatedly in male-dominated South Korea where discussion of s*xual misconduct has long been taboo. But the issue exploded in the world of sports after 21-year-old Shim Suk-hee accused her former coach, Cho Jae-beom, of s*xual assault.
Cho, a former national short track speed skating coach, had already been convicted of assaulting the two-time Olympic champion, especially for punching and kicking her during training. He was jailed for 10 months last September.
In December, Shim made accusations of s*xual abuse against him. Cho denied the accusation of s*xual abuse, the media cited his lawyer as saying. Since then, more athletes from various sports, including judo and archery, have come forward with accounts of assault and s*xual abuse, the media has also reported.
Choi said for too long, victims had not spoken out because of a “results-centred culture focussed on medals.†An “independent, constant, national surveillance system†would be established to gather data, conduct inquiries, and educate officials on human rights, she said.
Investigators would look into cases without the requirement of an initial accusation, and would take measures, including protection, for victims. They would then refer cases quickly to police and prosecutors, a spokeswoman for the commission said.
President Moon Jae-in said last week that the spate of accounts of abuse was a shameful tarnish on South Korea’s “bright image as a sports powerhouse.†He called for a thorough investigation and strict punishment.
The commission, noting that it had carried out an investigation into abuse of student athletes in 2008, said it would work to end a “nothing changes†culture.
(Reuters/NAN)
