A new act of sexual assault in Colombian sports brought to light the accentuated drama of gender violence in this sector. Four athletes reported being victims of harassment and sexual abuse by Giovanny Vega White, coach of the Sports Club Marathon Sport, attached to the Santander League.
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According to figures from Ministry of Sport, since March 2020 there have been 17 cases of complaints in this regard throughout the national territory (see alternate note), which even include violent carnal access. This reveals that, on average, there is an indictment every five weeks in the country.
The complaint filed by the attorney for the athletes, and known by EL TIEMPO, speaks of “child abuse, sexual harassment, violence against women, exploitation of minors, labor exploitation, physical or moral violence, sexual abuse , cruel and inhuman or degrading treatment”.
According to the document, one of the athletes, being a minor, assures that Vega made sexual comments to her in the facilities of the Bucaramanga athletics stadium, and in other spaces that were used for sports practice.
She also referred to “physical and psychological abuse by disqualifying her as an athlete, forcing her to compete even when injured, and injecting substances into her body to improve her performance.”
(Also read: Fedeathletismo pronounces on sexual harassment complaint)
In this story, according to the official complaint, “the commission of abusive and/or violent sexual acts resulting from touching their private parts (sexual organs, breasts and other parts of the body), perpetrated in the bathrooms of sports spaces, the aggressor taking advantage of the superiority he held over the young woman, ”is indicated in the criminal complaint.
Another of the athletes, from the department of Córdoba and who was also part of the complaint, pointed out that she, her sister and another athlete received mistreatment, insults, disqualification, sexual harassment, abusive and violent sexual act.
“In Bucaramanga they lived with him in the house of a woman they identified as ‘Betty’ (Rojas Sanguino). In that place, they state that they received ill-treatment, physical and psychological violence, they were forced to follow a strict diet and to be injected with complex B and diclofenac”, states the testimony.
Similarly, in the complaint there are indications of another athlete who lived three months, between 2013 and 2014, with Vega and Rojas, whom he charged with mistreatment, humiliation, physical and psychological abuse, and assured that they forced him to beg to get meal.
The coach denies it
EL TIEMPO spoke with Vega, the accused coach, who said: “That is already in the hands of my lawyers, who told me that I should keep silent. But the only thing I am saying is that there is no right for the press to be giving credibility to something that a ‘madman’ sent without any criminal support or anything. I am already in the process and I am willing to attend all the judicial processes”, he affirmed.
(Also read: Sexual harassment in sports: cases that have occurred in Colombia)
For his part, Ramiro Varela, president of the Colombian Athletics Federation, supported the president of the Santander League, Juan Gabriel Henao, in the formal presentation of the complaint. “The case is also in the Disciplinary Commission of the Federation, which is independent, and is made up of serious jurists. We support the investigation of the Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Sports and we trust that due process will point out responsibilities and we will support the sentences that come out, “he said.
Position of Mindeportes
The facts are investigated and the sports leadership has expressed that it expects justice.
Guillermo Herrera, Minister of Sports, said that his office has been aware of the case since last week and that since then he has activated all the “response and support” protocols within his powers.
We have been in personal contact with the Ministry of Development to support this process
“We have been in personal contact with the Ministry of Development to support this process. We have done legal support to file the corresponding complaints, as the Athletics League itself did. Tomorrow (today) an official travels to activate with the ICBF and the municipality all the psychosocial support for the athletes and their families”.
(Also read: ‘It is an aberrant event’: Ministry of Sport on cases of sexual harassment)
The minister acknowledged that this issue is “absolutely worrying” and that it is part of a culture of gender abuse and gender inequality in some disciplines. “You have to educate, inform and prevent,” he said.
“In the Ministry we are aware of the case of the Cundinamarca Judo League: it was unfiled, because we helped locate the victim. And we know of a case from the Liga de Lucha de Bolívar, where the victim was sexually assaulted by a trainer who then proceeded to ‘sell’ her to other trainers. One of them is under intramural detention,” added the official.
According to data provided by Legal Medicine, between 2020 and 2021, 36,385 cases of non-fatal sexual violence were registered. Of these, 31,532 were against women (86.6 percent).
The list of other cases
This is the list of complaints that, since March 2020, the Ministry of Sport has in its possession:
1. Harassment and sexual abuse of a minor by the volleyball coach of the Colegio Normal Superior de Bucaramanga.
2. Presumed acts of disrepute, insult, harassment by an official attached to Indervalle.
3. Alleged conduct of harassment of athletes by a DT of the Club Deportivo Hobelix Fútbol Club Bogotá.
4. Abuse and sexual harassment presented in amateur and professional football in Ibagué and Bogotá by the president of the La Paz FC team
5. Crimes against freedom, integrity and sexual discrimination by the director of the Judo PAD Program.
6. Alleged harassment and sexual abuse of a minor committed by a mountain biker from the Ciclo Soacha club.
7. Alleged sexual abuse of a minor by the DT of the Cundinamarca Judo League.
8. Alleged abusive carnal access against a minor by the DT of the Atlantic Athletics League for the disabled.
9. Alleged acts of sexual harassment and abuse against rugby athletes. They point to the DT of the Colombian National Team.
10. Alleged situation of sexual harassment and abuse of a coach.
11. Presumed situation of sexual harassment and abuse of a DT. The one indicated is the same as in the previous case.
12. Alleged sexual abuse of a minor by a mountain biking athlete from the Soacha Cycle Club and the MTB trainer – IMRDS.
13. Alleged discrimination and physical abuse against minors. The defendant is DT and legal representative of the VT Skating Stars Club.
14. Alleged physical aggression, sexual and psychological harassment and physical abuse by the DT against several athletes of the Antioquia U-18 men’s basketball team.
15. Alleged abusive sexual intercourse with a person incapable of resisting, committed against a Paralympic athlete by athletes from the Bogota Physical Disability League.
16. Presumed psychological mistreatment and discrimination due to the condition of women in minors. The accused is a member of the Antioquia Baseball League.
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