Women in Sport is calling for an independent body to ensure adequate safeguarding and duty of care for everyone involved in sport. The organisation states most victims of the many reported serious allegations of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse in sport are women or minors and is indicative of a structural and cultural problem in sport.

 

Women is Sport believes abuse is a particular problem for sport given its inherent physicality. It also refers to certain aspects of sports culture that create risks and the structure of sport which produces power imbalances and conflicts of interest.

 

To safeguard athletes, Women in Sport wants the establishment of an independent non-departmental body to tackle misconduct and abuse in sport. The body’s duties must include working with the sports sector to prevent duty of care failings from occurring, promotion of best practice and adjudication of cases of alleged abuse.