Stop letting abuse survivors fall through the cracks of Canada’s broken sport system

Gymnasts for Change Canada says a public inquiry and truly independent investigations are needed.

CALGARY, AB – Athlete survivors of sexual, physical, and mental abuse are raising questions about people falling through the cracks following the release of the first Annual Report from the Office of the Sport Integrity Commission (OSIC).

“OSIC may be well intentioned, but they’re working within a sports system that has repeatedly failed to keep Canadian athletes safe, or hold Canada’s sports organizations accountable. It’s funded by Sports Canada and engages third-party, for-profit service providers; all operating for years within this toxic, dysfunctional system,” explained Kim Shore, co-founder of Gymnasts for Change Canada.

“Foxes cannot be put in charge of henhouse safety. We must stop letting victims fall through the cracks of a broken system. Complaints must be handled by experts and investigators without links to the sports organizations they are investigating.”

Co-founder of Gymnasts for Change Canada, Amelia Cline, added that OSIC’s troubling Annual Report has laid bare the gaps in a system that relies on people who then turn to the same sport organizations for their next contract.

“A staggering 60% of complaints were rejected, mostly on jurisdictional grounds, while only one violation was brought to completion. It’s clear that OSIC lacks the power to properly address the ongoing and wide-spread abuse of athletes,” said Cline. “This quasi-judicial process – without the protections of the justice system and within a culture that normalizes abuse – is sadly doing more harm than good.”

Shore and Cline added that they are hopeful Canada’s new Minister for Sport, Carla Qualtrough, a former Paralympian, will act swiftly to repair a system where too many young and vulnerable athletes still face abuse.

“We continue to call for a public inquiry and know there is a lot of hard work still to do, but we are optimistic our new Sport Minister understands the challenges ahead and is ready to act swiftly to address years of weak oversight and a troubling lack of enforcement,” concluded Shore. “We look forward to working with Minister Qualtrough to build a sport system in Canada that protects athletes, prevents abuse and is grounded in respect for human rights.”

Gymnasts for Change Canada represents survivors who have came together to share their experiences, and work together to change their sport, in the wake of years of unaddressed sexual, physical, and emotional abuse of athletes.