Paralympic Archery Star Matteo Bonacina Placed Under House Arrest Amid Sexual Violence and Stalking Allegations

The world of Paralympic sports is reeling following the news that Matteo Bonacina, one of Italy’s most decorated archers, has been placed under house arrest. The 41-year-old world champion and recipient of the prestigious CONI Golden Collar is facing severe legal consequences following an investigation into a years-long pattern of harassment and sexual violence targeting his own teammates and staff.

According to reports from the Rome Prosecutor’s Office and the postal police, Bonacina is accused of stalking and sexually harassing five female athletes and one coach between 2019 and 2024. The investigation paints a disturbing picture of a power imbalance within the national team, culminating in an alleged attempted sexual assault during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

For those unfamiliar with the stakes, the CONI Golden Collar is not just a trophy; it is the highest honor bestowed by the Italian National Olympic Committee, reserved for athletes who have brought immense prestige to the nation. To see a recipient of such an honor facing these charges sends shockwaves through the sporting community, highlighting a catastrophic failure in safeguarding and athlete protection.

The Allegations: A Pattern of Harassment

The charges against Bonacina are not based on a single isolated incident but on a documented history of predatory behavior. Investigators allege that over a five-year period, Bonacina used digital communication to send unsolicited intimate images and harassing messages to his colleagues.

One of the most jarring details emerging from the investigation involves a request Bonacina allegedly made to a member of the national team. He reportedly demanded a red thong from an athlete to serve as a “lucky charm” ahead of the Paris 2024 Paralympics—a request that underscores the coercive environment described by the victims.

The situation reached a breaking point during the 2024 Games in Paris. Prosecutors allege that Bonacina attempted to rape a fellow Italian athlete inside a hotel room where the team was staying. This specific incident served as a catalyst for the legal proceedings that have now led to his house arrest.

The investigation was officially launched after the Italian Archery Federation (Fitarco) reported the athlete to judicial authorities following his initial suspension from sports activities.

Fitarco’s Response and the Path to Expulsion

While the criminal case is now taking center stage, the sporting authorities had already begun the process of purging Bonacina from the national program. In a formal statement, Rai News reports that Fitarco had already concluded its own internal judicial proceedings, resulting in the maximum possible sanction.

The timeline of the federation’s disciplinary actions is as follows:

• May 2025: The federal court issued a precautionary suspension, barring Bonacina from all sporting activities.
• July 2025: Following further review, the athlete was officially expelled (radiato) from the federation.
• Summer 2025: The expulsion was confirmed, effectively ending his competitive career.

Bonacina did not accept the decision quietly. He filed an appeal with the CONI Guarantee Board, the highest sporting authority in Italy. However, Fitarco appeared in court to formally request that the expulsion be upheld, ensuring that Bonacina remained sidelined. The athlete has not competed in over a year.

The Significance of the Fall

To understand the gravity of this story, one must look at Bonacina’s standing before these allegations came to light. He was the 2023 World Champion in the Czech Republic, a dominant force in Paralympic archery and a symbol of athletic excellence. When an athlete of this stature is accused of such crimes, it raises systemic questions about who is watching the watchers in high-performance environments.

In professional sports, “safeguarding” is the term used for the policies designed to protect athletes from abuse. When a world champion can allegedly harass six different colleagues over five years—including during a major global event like the Paralympics—it suggests that the reporting mechanisms were either ignored or non-existent.

The fact that the investigation was only triggered after a federal suspension suggests a reactive rather than proactive approach to athlete safety. For the victims, the trauma is compounded by the public nature of Bonacina’s success and the prestige he held within the Italian sporting hierarchy.

What This Means for the Italian National Team

The Italian national archery team now faces a period of intense introspection. Beyond the loss of a world-class competitor, the team must deal with the psychological fallout among the athletes who were targeted. The revelation that an attempted assault occurred in the “safe space” of a team hotel during the Paris Games is a devastating blow to team morale and trust.

For the global Paralympic community, this case serves as a warning. The prestige of a gold medal or a world title cannot be used as a shield for abusive behavior. The swiftness of the house arrest indicates that the Rome Prosecutor’s Office views the evidence as substantial and the risk to the victims as ongoing.

As the legal process unfolds in Rome, the focus will likely shift toward whether other athletes were affected and how the federation handled early warning signs. The Italian sporting world is now waiting to see if this case will lead to broader reforms in how Paralympic athletes are protected from predatory behavior within their own ranks.

The next confirmed checkpoint in this case will be the upcoming hearings in the Rome court, where the prosecution will present the evidence gathered by the postal police and the testimonies of the six victims. We will continue to monitor the proceedings and provide updates as official court documents are released.

Do you think sporting federations do enough to protect athletes from internal abuse? Share your thoughts in the comments below.