‘They were trying to silence me’: Ex-gymnast says she was sanctioned for speaking out
One year on from the publication of a landmark report highlighting ‘systemic’ abuse in gymnastics, ITV News Sports Editor Steve Scott hears from a former gymnast who says the sport’s governing body tried to silence her after she posted online about her ex-coach’s misconduct.
The only reason former elite gymnast and now aspiring British Gymnastics coach Jess Daykin said she felt the need to tell her story publicly, was the governing body’s policy of secrecy when it comes to sanctioned coaches.
Multiple complaints about Jess’s former coach had been upheld by an independent panel who concluded she had “created a culture of fear amongst staff and gymnasts” at the gym where she worked.
The coach was sanctioned, instructed to take several safeguarding courses, and had to be supervised for a year before being allowed to coach independently again.
Some other UK sports do ”name and shame”, but because of British Gymnastics’ policy never to identify suspended or sanctioned coaches, the outcome of Jess’s complaint wasn’t made public.
“It just looks like I’ve lied or I’m making it up. It can’t be that bad, if no one knows about it”, she says.
Read more here https://www.itv.com/news/2023-06-16/they-tried-to-silence-me-ex-gymnast-says-she-was-sanctioned-for-speaking-out