Justice Rosemarie Aquilina released a video supporting Canadian gymnasts’ call for an independent investigation into alleged problems within their sport
The judge who presided over the trial of Larry Nassar, the disgraced USA Gymnastics doctor convicted of sexually assaulting athletes, says allegations of abuse by Canadian gymnasts must be investigated outside of the sport system.
“I know the importance of offering all victims a safe place to tell their story, to be believed, to be heard and for action to then happen. This is why an investigation must be completely outside the current Canadian sport system.” Known as an outspoken judge, Justice Aquilina made headlines during the 2018 Nassar trial when she called the former Team USA doctor delusional and suggested he “still didn’t get it,” after he said it was too hard to listen to multiple victim statements from the more than 150 gymnasts who accused him of assault.
Gymnasts who spoke with The Globe and Mail described a variety of problems that have existed over the past decade or more, ranging from physical abuse, including being forced to train while injured, to verbal, psychological and sexual abuse, including cases that have not been properly addressed.
In the six months since she was appointed, Ms. St-Onge said she has heard of at least eight cases of maltreatment, physical abuse, sexual abuse and misuse of funds inside Canada’s national sports organizations. The Globe has since learned that those eight organizations include: gymnastics, synchronized swimming, bobsleigh and skeleton, rowing, rugby, athletics, wrestling and curling.
The SDRCC is believed to be the federal government’s preferred option for investigating the gymnasts’ complaints when the new office begins operating this spring. However, the gymnasts are concerned that the SDRCC’s role is to investigate abuse allegations case by case as they arise, but its mandate would not allow a broader investigation into systemic problems in their sport.
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