USA: Justice opens investigation into sexual abuse in Olympic sports – JO – USA

According to Friday's Wall Street Journal, the US Department of Justice (Doj) has opened an investigation into sexual abuse in the country's Olympic sports. The investigations result from the scandal Larry Nassar, a doctor who assaulted over 350 gymnasts between 1996 and 2014 and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The Department of Justice is currently studying shortcomings, in the broad sense of the term, of the Olympic system when it comes to responding to the signs of widespread abuse of children ", Says the Wall Street Journal, quoting a source close to the file, without however specify if its action began. The daily adds that prosecutors have already interviewed witnesses and collected documents from the US Center for Safesport, an organization set up two years ago to handle news of abuse in American sport.

When asked, the US Olympic Committee (USOPC) did not confirm this information. " Each case related to potential or actual abuse of athletes deserves a thorough investigation. We have responded to all government requests and will continue to do so Said USOPC spokesman Mark Jones in a statement. In late July, two US senators, Jerry Moran and Richard Blumenthal, introduced a bill to strengthen congressional control over the US Olympic Committee.

Various US Olympic Federations have been shaken by a series of sex abuse scandals for more than a decade. The taekwondo, swimming, skating and judo teams, among others, have also been the subject of serious allegations of sexual abuse and have been criticized for their inability to handle these situations, even before the Nassar scandal hit the headlines. newspapers.