Calls to investigate the "toxic culture and rampant child abuse entrenched in Canadian gymnastics" have gone unanswered for seven months, a group of more than 500 Canadian gymnasts allege in an open letter released on Wednesday.
Now, the group known as Gymnasts For Change Canada is "urging and imploring" federal sports minister Pascale St. Onge to initiate an independent third-party judicial investigation "for the wellbeing of every gymnast in the country." The letter states that "The lack of response sends the message that these voices do not matter, and their experiences are not worthy of action." According to the group, these experiences include children being publicly humiliated, sexually groomed, forced to train on significant injuries, deprived of food and verbally and physically abused.
The list, which includes other disturbing details, was reportedly sent in a June 22 email addressed to St. Onge, her chief of staff, and a Sport Canada representative.
Gymnasts For Change Canada claim the email "has been met with no action" from St. Onge's office, along with another open letter from March of 2022 asking for an independent investigation on the matters. "Surely by now their voices are too loud to be ignored and yet their courage has been met with no action from your office." The group says such behaviour continues to exist in the gymnastics community. "These examples are not historical, and abuse continues in gyms all across this country today. "Today we call for your action ...