French skating chief resigns amid sexual abuse scandal
Posted Feb 8, 2020 08:40:49 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
PARIS — The long-serving head of France’s skating federation resigned Saturday amid suspicions that he covered up for a coach accused of rape and sexual abuse by former figure skaters.
Didier Gailhaguet denies protecting the coach and says he’s not at fault, and cast blame on the Sports Ministry when he announced his resignation following a special meeting at the federation Saturday. He said no one at the federation was aware of alleged wrongdoing.
Paris prosecutors opened a criminal investigation this week into accusations from 10-time French champion Sarah Abitbol that she was raped by coach Gilles Beyer from 1990-1992, when she was a teen.
Two other former skaters have also accused Beyer, and denounced a lack of support from the federation.
The accusations led to calls for Gailhaguet to resign, because Beyer was allowed to continue having roles at the French skating federation until 2018 despite having been let go by the French sports ministry in 2001 following a report highlighting repeated “serious acts” committed against young skaters.
The Associated Press does not normally name sexual assault victims. But Abitbol accused Beyer in a book published last week and has also spoken about her personal experience on television.
Gailhaguet served a first term as FFSG president 1998-2004 and started his second stint in 2007. Four members of the FFSG’s executive office, including a treasurer, resigned on Tuesday night.
The Associated Press
