Gymnastics Australia helped write 'independent' process that blocked complaint against chief executive

An athlete's mother alleged the chief executive of Gymnastics Australia, Kitty Chiller, should not have closed a 2018 investigation into the National Centre of Excellence.

But the mother's complaint — made under a formal process hastily set up to give athletes a chance to air their grievances — was deemed «out of scope».

And now new information has revealed the policy that governed the «independent» complaints process was actually co-drafted by those in the office of Ms Chiller, although Gymnastics Australia has distanced itself from any involvement in its drafting, saying it merely “endorsed” the policy.

The scheme limited valid complaints to only those involving direct conduct towards an athlete, thereby excluding from potential investigation officials who may have handled historical complaints or had knowledge of abuse.

The mother's complaint concerned Ms Chiller's decision to end an investigation into the National Centre of Excellence in 2018, following evidence provided by multiple parents.

That complaint was deemed «out of scope» by the so-called Supplementary Complaints Management Process, set up in 2020 to run alongside a Human Rights Commission review of the sport.

Three years after the investigation was closed by Ms Chiller, the Human Rights Commission revealed widespread cultural problems in the sport.

Ms Chiller did not provide a response to the ABC this week addressing the mother's complaint about closing the investigation. Gymnastics Australia said it did not comment on investigations, but in response noted Ms Chiller was not a respondent under the SCMP and offered a statement:

«Since the [Human Rights Commission] findings were released, significant work has been undertaken as we look to deliver not only the