Hellenic Gymnastics Federation: “Everything is in the light, justice should be done for anything inappropriate”

The case of the 28 gymnasts’s complaints of sexual harassment suffered by their coaches from 1985 to after 2000 may have been dropped, but the Hellenic Gymnastics Federation has taken a stand.

Specifically, with its announcement today, the Federation on the one hand asked for the guilty to be punished if there are such, on the other hand to protect the sport.

At the same time, calling on the Greek Justice, in which it expressed its confidence, to act immediately to clarify the case.

The relevant announcement in detail:

“The Hellenic Gymnastics Federation is following with concern and vigilance, through the publication in the media, complaints of former athletes of instrumental gymnastics for abusive incidents which they claim to have suffered from coaches during their competitive term.

The administration of E.G.O. expresses its disappointment, as months after the complaints, which were first made and notified to the Federation on April 7, 2021, the issue is perpetuated escalating, while all the appropriate actions have been taken by the Federation to clarify the reported incidents, but and from the side of the state by conducting a preliminary examination, following an order from the Chief of the Athens Court of First Instance, the results of which we are awaiting.

Immediately after the first complaints, an extraordinary Board of Directors was convened, by order of the President, Mr. Athanasios Stathopoulos. It was unanimously decided to form a Three-Member Committee by members of the Board. to investigate complaints.

The committee was made available to the complainants, so that they could provide, with absolute confidentiality, specific information regarding the persons, time, place and conditions of the convicted acts they complain about, in order for the Hellenic Gymnastics Federation to proceed further. investigate the facts and impose any disciplinary sanctions.

Fifteen days after the fruitless establishment of the Tripartite Committee, a period during which the complaining athletes did not respond to our invitation to come and testify properly, the Hellenic Gymnastics Federation, on April 23, 2021, forwarded the file to the Commission. , Ethics and Ethics of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, following a relevant request of its President, in order to address the complaints, but also in accordance with the provision of article 35 of the Statute of our Federation.

Since then, the EGO, having confidence in the institutions of the State, and in its effort to preserve the members of the large family of Hellenic Gymnastics, has kept a low profile, trying not to stigmatize the sport and the Greek coaches, the who have given our country Olympic, World and European medals.

However, with sadness and frustration, the Federation is watching public appearances, statements and complaints in the media of former athletes, who cast shadows on the sport of Gymnastics without naming specific persons, while they themselves were unjustifiably ignorant. of the Federation, do not expect the result of the preliminary examination of the Athens Prosecutor’s Office, preferring instead the easy way of creating impressions in the Media.

The Hellenic Gymnastics Federation awaits with interest the investigation of the facts by the Greek Justice and with the same always requested: Everything in the light, with names and data, to be brought justice for any inappropriate behavior, but also to protect its healthy cell of the sport of Gymnastics from every unjust and unsupported category “.

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