New Manitoba legislation would require independent investigation of abuse allegations in youth sports

WARNING: This story contains references to sexual assault and suicide.

The province has introduced new legislation aimed at protecting Manitoba children involved in sports from mistreatment, including abuse and discrimination, by their coaches and other officials.

If approved, the Protecting Youth in Sports Act would require Sport Manitoba, the main oversight agency for amateur sports in the province, to establish a "safe sport" policy that provincial sports organizations would be mandated to adopt.

The policy would set out "behavioural expectations and prohibited conduct for sport participants," including coaches and officials, as well as "procedures for review, disciplinary measures and appeals," the province said in a Thursday news release.

That would include implementing a system requiring Sport Manitoba to hire an outside independent adjudicator to investigate abuse allegations and provide written notice of founded abuse to provincial sports organizations.

"There has to be a balance there protecting the privacy of the individuals. But people that are in violation of the regulations and mistreat people must understand there are consequences to that," said Peter Woods, executive director of Hockey Manitoba.

The act was introduced at the Manitoba Legislature on Thursday by Sport Minister Nellie Kennedy.

The act says Sport Manitoba must give written notice to each provincial sports organization when an independent adjudicator finds that a coach or official has mistreated a young athlete, including physical, sexual or psychological abuse, grooming for sexual abuse, or any discrimination under the human rights code.

The legislation follows recent high-profile cases involving abuse in amateur sports.

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