Gymnastics Australia has announced it can’t assist gymnasts who suffered childhood sexual abuse and claimed compensation, three years after it publicly pledged its commitment to do just that.
The sports governing body committed to the National Redress Scheme (which can offer apologies and financial compensation to sexual abuse survivors) in its 2020 annual report, where it said it had “continued to engage with [the scheme] throughout the year and has formally commenced the onboarding process”.
However, Gymnastics Australia’s chief executive Alexandra Ash revealed the body is still “in a financial position that prevented it from being accepted by the scheme”, per ABC News.
FYI, the National Redress Scheme offers personal apologies and compensation of up to $150,000 for individual claims.
The position was confirmed in a May submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme.
However, Ash also revealed that the Australian Olympic Committee was approached to financially back Gymnastics Australia so it could fulfil the scheme…only for it to say no. What?!
“It is understood that the National Redress Scheme formally approached Australian Olympic Committee to fund Gymnastics Australia’s application to the scheme, of which was declined,” Ash told the committee, per ABC News.
“Gymnastics Australia is working directly with the National Redress Scheme on options to engage with the scheme.”
ABC Sport tried asking more questions about this little nugget of info, but Gymnastics Australia declined to comment.
Ash also apparently quietly confirmed to abuse survivor Alison Quigley, who was waiting on compensation from the scheme for years, that the body didn’t have the cash to meet her requirements.
However, Quigley said that’s not really fair — while it’s nice to have open communication, she’d have preferred something more formal and public.
She said she “needed this in a written format to bring more accountability and transparency to this process”.
“A CEO’s quiet word to one survivor is not public accountability,” she said, per ABC News.
“The time to sign on was then [in 2020]. Why would they not? They were in good financial shape. And from what was said in the press, they knew sex offenders had been circulating in the sport and they were issuing generalised apologies.
“But the next few financial cycles have come and gone and they still haven’t joined the redress scheme.”
Pop off queen!
Quigley also pointed out that Gymnastics Australia receives millions in funding every year, and has recently seen an increase in participants.
“In short, Gymnastics Australia receives approximately $4 million per year from the Australian Sports Commission, from grants process and other government bodies,” she said.
“In 2021, when I submitted my redress application, they posted an operational surplus of more than $286,000.
“In their 2022 annual report, they noted an increase in membership — and an increase in the number of children under 12 participating in the sport — and they noted their grants were $4.7 million, but they reported a $66,000 loss and survivors get nothing.
“I am curious to know how their money is spent and how they are short.”
Gymnastics Australia provided a statement to ABC News, but didn’t share its funding model.
“Gymnastics Australia is committed to the delivery of redress for victims of child sexual abuse,” the statement said.
“We support the principles of the National Redress Scheme and acknowledge the important avenue it provides in supporting those who have been abused.
“Gymnastics Australia continues to work proactively and collaboratively with the National Redress Scheme and are progressing to declaration.”
Let’s hope it gets there soon, because paying compensation to child sexual abuse survivors is really the least these organisations can do.
Image: iStock / K_Lang
