Canadian gymnastics protest government inaction to toxic sports culture

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In an open letter, 500 members of Gymnasts for Change Canada, have alleged that reports of widespread child abuse and toxic culture in the sport have remained unaddressed for seven months.

According to the organization, instances of physical and verbal abuse, humiliation of children, sexual grooming, and the deprivation of food, among others, were reported to the federal sports minister Pascale St-Onge, along with her chief of staff and a representative from Sports Canada, seven months ago and have not elicited any response yet.

The sports minister has now addressed the report in the media and stated that an independent Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) is to be constituted, to function as a third-party investigator.

Former sport minister Kirsty Duncan has proposed a full public inquiry to investigate instances of abuse across all sport, such as the Dubin Inquiry which investigated doping. Australia and Great Britain have held similar broad inquiries in the past, conducted by the Australian Human Rights Commission and Great Britain’s Whyte Review.

Meanwhile, the OSIC has already come under fire for not being an independent body, due to the funding it receives from the federal government. It also lacks the ability to enforce sanctions and does not possess subpoena powers.