Swimming Australia defends response to Maddie Groves abuse allegations | To swim

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Swimming Australia has defended its response to allegations by Olympic swimmer Maddie Groves that she was sexually assaulted for five years by a man still involved in the sport.

On Wednesday night, Groves alleged in the CBA’s 7:30 a.m. report that she was sexually assaulted as a teenager over a five-year period.

She said she was sexually assaulted between the ages of 13 and 18 by a man she refused to identify.

When I was a minor, I was assaulted by an adult male on several occasions, she told the ABC. At the time, I didn’t feel like there was anyone I could talk to.

Groves said she had not made a formal complaint about the allegations to Swimming Australia or the police and that there was no one in swimming I would trust to disclose this either.

In a statement regarding the 7:30 am program, Swimming Australia said the report was the first Swimming Australia to be made aware of the matter. These allegations were forwarded directly to Queensland Police in accordance with Queensland legislative requirements.

Groves separately alleged the improper conduct of two other people involved in swimming, claiming that one abused her when giving instructions and another inappropriately touched her on the arm and back when she was a teenage swimmer.

Swimming Australia said it takes all Grovess complaints seriously and has taken steps to address them.

Ms Groves requested and obtained a meeting with Chairman Kieren Perkins and former CEO Alex Baumann and was given every opportunity to raise her complaints and concerns, according to a statement.

He said Groves raised his concerns during the meeting about an individual and that those allegations were the subject of a three-month independent investigation by Q Workplace Solutions.

The statement said Groves declined to be interviewed by an independent investigator, who concluded the complaint against the organizations was unfounded.

Swimming Australia has said it is unaware of the second person allegations and that we are now working with Sport Integrity Australia to ensure that a proper and independent process is in place for these new allegations.

On the ABC show, Groves said she did not file a formal complaint against the man she said assaulted her, but that he still worked in swimming.

I don’t think I really want to report it to the police, she said. This is obviously a huge process on an emotional level and it doesn’t necessarily end up working that well.

I have had a few other friends and people I know in swimming who have been abused and sexually assaulted and they have gone through this process.

It ends up being really disappointing and things don’t seem to change much. It kind of went under the rug. And I think if I did make a complaint, I don’t really think anything would be different from that.

Groves, who won two silver medals at the Rio 2016 Olympics, sparked controversy by withdrawing from Australia’s selection trials for this year’s Tokyo Olympics.

In a series of social media posts, she made reference to misogynistic perverts within swimming in Australia.

His claims sparked a wider investigation, which is underway, by Swimming Australia into allegations of abuse in the sport.

Deciding not to compete in the Olympic Trials was sort of a cry for help that hopefully someone would listen to and maybe do something about this huge issue in Australian sport, she said. told the ABC.

The 26-year-old, who recently returned to the International Swimming League’s pool in Europe, said she was speaking out in an attempt for a change.

It really does seem like there is this vicious cycle of using and abusing female athletes until they are exhausted and broken, she said.

I feel like if I didn’t speak out, if there wasn’t a proper investigation into the culture of the sport in Australia, this cycle would go on forever.

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