Gymnastics scandal, the new complaints of child athletes: “Pinching on the butt, slaps and insults”

With her butt red from the many pinches received by the coach, Maria (not her real name) is sitting in the locker room of the artistic gymnastics gym in Imola. She is 7 years old and she doesn’t know how to tell her parents about the violence she just suffered in training, accompanied by harassment. It was 2018, now Maria is a teenager and, with three other companions from the same gym, she has decided to report the mistreatment suffered to the Bologna prosecutor’s office. The prosecutors have opened an investigation, notifying the notice of guarantee to the instructor. The federal prosecutor’s office has also taken action, which has already heard the 4 girls and 7 witnesses: former companions who witnessed the verbal and physical abuse. Among the gymnasts who have filed a complaint there is also Luisa, another invented name: “I took a slap so hard that it left an imprint on my skin. Not to mention the insults: she took the big cones to use them as a microphone in front of everyone”.

Two days before the start of the trial in federal court of Emanuela Maccarani, the coach of the rhythmic national team referred for the investigation into the abuses in Desio revealed in Repubblica by some ex Farfalle, new complaints are shaking up gymnastics. And another ordinary prosecutor’s office, after those of Treviso, Brescia and Monza (here the Academy of Desio is being investigated), opens a file on possible violence against minors.

From rhythmic to artistic, the terrible specter of abuse remains. Which should not be seen in a short period of time, but over twenty years. The four girls, who asked for help from the ChangeTheGame association, attended the Imola gym at different times, building relationships over the years they were together. They all want to remain anonymous. Maria is from 2011. Then there are two gymnasts from 2003 and 1999, while Luisa is from 1994. “We didn’t immediately have the courage to report it – continues Luisa – then when Repubblica started to uncover the vase we said to ourselves: ‘If we don’t do it now we will never do it again”. So we called many of our companions who came to testify. We have not spoken to the Federation, but everyone knows what happened in Imola”.

Luisa’s stories can be superimposed on those of all the other former gymnasts who have denounced harassment and humiliation in recent months. The pattern is the same, it is repeated in (almost) all the gyms in the country: “We received blows on the head and I was always belittled with phrases like “you are in the national team only thanks to us, you are nobody” or “you are stupid”. It was demeaning. Once the coach checked my bag, found 3 chocolates and made a scene.” Furthermore, many athletes were forced to train despite physical problems: “If we had injuries, no one believed it. “You’re sick only because you don’t want to work”, we heard ourselves repeat. And if the doctor told us to rest for 5 or 10 days, it was the same: it was the coach decides. Now we want to get justice.”

The investigations are still in an initial stage. The prosecutor will have to evaluate, having heard the various witnesses, whether to ask for the indictment: the coach, who has always taught in this sector, is defended by the lawyers Carlo Machirelli and Silvia Villa, while the prosecutor is at the head of the investigation Augusto Borghini: “We are absolutely convinced that this story ends with a filing – comments the lawyer Machirelli – we have no doubts about the correctness of the instructor’s work”.
While waiting for news from Imola, Federginnastica focuses on Rome, where on Friday there will be the first hearing in the federal court of Maccarani and his assistant Olga Tishina.