There have been various cases that have been posted and discussed, in various threads.
But it seems to me that, as such an important issue, which must not be shied away from, we should have a separate dedicated thread.
So, to put them as separate posts, the independent inquiry decided that there were serious shortfalls in the way the LTA handled the sexual abuse allegation against a coach in Herts. in 2004:
"The Lawn Tennis Association failed for five years to act strongly enough on repeated warnings about the behaviour of a coach, Daniel Sanders, who went on to seriously sexually abuse a young female player, an independent review has found. Sanders retained his job as the head coach at the Wrexham Tennis Centre, despite complaints by other coaches, concerned parents and players about his inappropriately sexualised and bullying behaviour, until he was arrested and charged in 2017."
Sexual abuse of children is the worst. There is never an excuse, never any mitigating factor, never provocation. It is vile; it is a most serious crime. End of.
However, I posted on the British Tour women's site about a Youtube video clip that I just saw and that made me SO furious, not about abusers but about the message that some people send out that I felt I had to make it more public.
So, as a direct copy:
I looked up a couple of the girls playing at the British Tour event in Exeter, who I didn't know, and came across Michelle Dzjachangirova, who is from the Netherlands (or based here but plays for the Netherlands).
And there's a cute Youtube clip of her, age 9, doing tennis exercises, and twirls, and a bit of tennis, all very stylised, and production shot...
AND all set to the music of Lavigne's "I could be your girlfriend", which includes the lyrics:
You're so fine
I want you mine
You're so delicious
I think about you all the time
You're so addictive
Don't you know what I can do
To make you feel all right?
as well as:
Don't pretend
I think you know
I'm damn precious
And, hell yeah
I'm the mother****in' princess
I can tell you like me too
And you know I'm right
And lots more....
I'm sorry but, truly, HOW is that appropriate??????
Who in their RIGHT MIND would set a video of a little girl of 9, jumping around in tennis gear, to lyrics like this????
If Michelle or her family or her friends follow this forum, or do a google search for their name and come across it, please TAKE IT DOWN ! And have a serious think about what you want to put out there - someone should be ashamed of themselves.
Wow that is so inappropriate, it's not even the radio edit of the song, so it does say the F word in a video about a 9 year old! Surely the family didn't put this up, but then how did the youtube account get the footage.
A big article in the Guardian about the LTA's inappropriate response to the Herts sexual abuse case, Martin Corrie's resignation and the LTA's utterly confounding decision to nominate Corrie to the ITF Board:
A big article in the Guardian about the LTA's inappropriate response to the Herts sexual abuse case, Martin Corrie's resignation and the LTA's utterly confounding decision to nominate Corrie to the ITF Board:
David Conn is a good friend of mine, our daughters go to school together and we even went on hols together a few years ago.
He is probably one of the best, if not the best, sports investigative journos around, the work he has done on Hillsborough and also on FIFA, Qatar, Man City and many others is impressive. This article is well worth reading and taking seriously
Just to note the Andrew Geddes was re-found guilty and sentenced to 18 years in jail, in France yesterday, for the rape of four young tennis students, and other sexual crimes against the girls.
There's a rather poor translation here:
https://www.france24.news/en/2021/01/andrew-geddes-ex-tennis-coach-sentenced-on-appeal-to-18-years-in-prison-for-rape-of-minors.html
The French are conducting a major investigation and prosecution of offenders of sexual abuse of young people in sport.
Hundreds of youngsters have been questioned, and hundreds of teachers, coaches, volunteers, etc. are also being questioned. The specific federations are not mentioned but it is certain that tennis is one of those 48 implicated, and 99.9% certain that it is one of the 12 that make up two-thirds of all the cases.
I haven't really read it in great detail but Peng Shuai, now aged 35, previously 14th in the world and number one in doubles, has accused Zhang Gaoli, a senior Communist Party official, 75, of sexually abusing her three years ago, by coercing her into having sex.
So the Peng Shuai situation is really escalating - with all her words and those of others supporting her being deleted from the internet in China and the WTA management and players commenting. Hopefully shes found soon.