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Abuse scandals at the Swiss Gymnastics Federation (STV) have shaken sporting Switzerland. And they are drawing ever wider circles, now politics is getting active. A day after former Federal Councilor Micheline Calmy-Rey (75) demanded in the Sonntagsblick that politicians “ask questions and demand answers” about serious cases said to have occurred at the National Performance Center in Magglingen in recent years , comes into force Sports Commission of the Council of States (WBK).
On Monday it convened the heads of STV, Swiss Olympic and the Federal Office for Sports, and then approved a proposal to create an independent national point of contact for victims of abuse in sport. This should help strengthen the rights of athletes.
Politicians follow a call from Ariella Kaeslin (33). Back in the summer, the former European gymnastics champion told Sonntagsblick: “Maybe it would be good if the gymnasts had a special point of contact for these problems. There should be an independent commission that takes over a control function and monitors what is happening. “
Reporting offices “not independent and not very professional”
Registration offices already exist in individual sports associations. “But these are not independent or very professional,” says the Green Councilor of States Maya Graf (58). Her colleague at the Basel Council of States Eva Herzog (SP, 58) also hopes that a national reporting office will have a preventive effect: “Today, many gymnasts are afraid to report internally because they fear repression during training.”
Political pressure is also absolutely necessary so that the case processing process does not “sleep”. “The planned notification point is also a warning sign for associations,” says Commission President Hannes Germann (64, Senior Vice President). You wouldn’t be surprised if there were similar instances of abuse in other individual sports such as gymnastics.
Do guardians of ethics organize like doping hunters?
“With this approach, politics is opening doors for us,” says Roger Schnegg, director of Swiss Olympic. Background: Since the beginning of the year, Swiss Olympic has been investigating what a national reporting office could look like that is independent from individual associations. “We have three reports on this, and our Executive Council will also be addressing them this month.”
This started regardless of the incidents at the STV. For Schnegg, the advantage of having a single reporting office is obvious: “The fact that it is completely separate from individual associations ensures that potential victims who report there are protected. There can no longer be any suspicions that something is wrong. “
Exactly what the central reporting office will look like has not yet been defined. “A national organization like Antidoping Switzerland is conceivable.” As an independent foundation, doping hunters are funded half by the federal government and half by Swiss Olympic.
“It is not enough that individual coaches are fired”
In recent years, the Swiss Gymnastics Federation has repeatedly seen serious cases of abuse: gymnasts were intimidated and insulted for being fat; National rhythmic gymnastics coaches even physically tortured their athletes. “It is not enough that individual coaches are fired,” says Counselor of States Herzog. “Training methods and the atmosphere in top-tier gymnastics generally have to change.”
The glove for sports chiefs continues Tuesday. After Monday’s meeting in the Council of States, they have to go to the Minister of Sport Viola Amherd (58), who stayed away from the WBK audience.
