Sexual abuse in sports: Set up effective complaints platform now, says activist

 

The Youth and Sports Ministry must immediately set up an effective complaints channel to address sexual harassment and abuse in sports, said Penang exco for social development and non-Islamic religious affairs Chong Eng.

Chong (above), who is a long-time activist for women's affairs, cited recent revelations by athletes and several high-profile cases in the past, stressing that there will be no solution until a proper mechanism is in place to protect athletes.

She cited the case of diving coach Huang Qiang who was freed from a rape charge and the case of athletics coach C Ramanathan.

Ramanathan was found guilty of molesting two junior athletes by a Sessions Court and was later acquitted by the High Court before being convicted again by the Court of Appeal. He then served a reduced sentence of one year in jail.

"There are reasons to believe that such cases are just the tip of the iceberg as many suffer in silence for fear of backlash or being rejected to be fielded as an athlete for voicing up.

"There should be no room for sexual harassment, be it at home, workplace or training venues for a department head, a coach, a senior, or the opposite sex to take advantage on a lower-ranking staff, a junior or the opposite sex," said Chong in a statement today.

Existing platforms - the Athlete Representative Committee, the Misconduct and Harassment in Sports Committee and the Athletes' Commission under the Olympic Council of Malaysia - were "toothless", said Chong.

Chong said that although highlighting sexual abuse through the press was a good way to promote awareness, a proper mechanism to deal with it was necessary to ensure the culprits are punished.

"For a long-term solution, a proper channel should be set up for the victim to lodge the complaint and the complaint to be dealt with in an effective manner," said Chong.

National attention on sexual abuse and harassment in sports was recently reinvigorated following former national swimmer Cindy Ong's revelation of the abuse that she had once suffered.

Several other swimmers also spoke to Malaysiakini of the abuses they suffered but would only do so anonymously.

Malaysia currently does not have specific sexual harassment laws. The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry had promised to table a bill in the next parliamentary sitting. - Mkini