OTTAWA
Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge says a $16 million budget to tackle mistreatment and sexual abuse in sport will ensure Canada’s athletes feel safe and their voices are heard.
The money to establish a safer sports system follows allegations of either mistreatment, sexual abuse or misappropriation of funds against at least eight national sports organizations.
In an interview, St-Onge says sport safety is an urgent priority for her and that the new system, starting this spring, will also help restore the confidence of parents who send their children to sports clubs.
The funds will support an independent mechanism for Canadian athletes, including young people, to report mistreatment, abuse and discrimination and seek counseling.
The independent Safe Sports Mechanism, implemented by the Sport Dispute Resolution Center of Canada, will also have the authority to independently investigate allegations made by athletes and, if appropriate, refer them to the police.
Federally funded sports organizations, including national teams, are required to register with the Safe Sports Initiative, which includes a helpline.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on April 14, 2022
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