Sports officials warned to act on abuse complaints … or else

Fed up with taxpayer-funded sporting bodies sweeping abuse complaints under the carpet, the federal government’s tough stance has forced Hockey Australia to act.

There are concerns about the way Hockey Australia plans to investigate the players’ complaints. Picture AAP

Hockey Australia has handed over the running of an investigation in to a reported “toxic culture” and allegations of bullying in its Women’s High-Performance Program to Sport Integrity Australia (SIA).

The decision to relinquish that control comes on the same day as the Federal government announced it was committing in excess of $10m to SIA to introduce an independent complaints handling process that will commence from March 2021.

SIA’s involvement will ensure full independence in the way the inquiry will be conducted.

Current and past players and officials will be able to lodge formal complaints to SIA through a dedicated reporting line and email address.

“The agreement has been established to complement the current inquiry and add an additional layer of independence for any specific complaints relating to the program since December 2016,” read a statement released by Hockey Australia (HA).

“Sport Integrity Australia will receive, assess and manage complaints related to the Australian Women’s hockey program, while the National Sports Tribunal will deal with any disputes that arise through that complaints process, through mediation, conciliation, or arbitration.

“Sport Integrity Australia will assess complaints under Hockey Australia’s Member Protection Policy and, applying the Hockey Australia Complaints and Disputes Policy, will identify the most appropriate mechanism for resolution.

“This may include further investigation by Sport Integrity Australia and/or independent dispute resolution facilitated by the National Sports Tribunal.”

GOVERNMENT GETS TOUGH

Hocky and all other taxpayer-funded sporting bodies that don’t properly investigate or act on serious integrity issues - including child abuse, intimidation and bullying - have been put on emphatic notice that they need to raise their standards.

In a major escalation of the government’s crackdown on sporting organisations accused of sweeping things under the carpet, Canberra is making seismic changes to the way serious complaints are dealt with.

Key among those is persuading sporting bodies to hand over investigations to fully independent outsiders instead of ordering their own inquiries - an issue that has reared its head during the ongoing HA scandal.

Federal Sports Minister Richard Colbeck says sporting bodies must ensure a high level of independence when investigating serious claims. Picture: NCA NewsWire

HA had already commenced a review into the “toxic culture” of the women’s high-performance program, but reservations in Canberra about how independent the inquiry would be seen have impacted thinking.

The concern was that the two men charged with running it are employed by the Australian Institute of Sport and Ernst and Young - two organisations that current HA board members and staff previously worked at.

While there is no suggestion the board or any of the reviewers would not act independently, it’s the perception that has some Canberra insiders worried in light of all the work that has gone into setting up new and fully independent review boards after questions were raised about gymnastics, equestrian and figure skating.

However, sources at HA said its panel has been extended to five people, including two women, and been authorised to conduct a rigorously independent and transparent inquiry that board members insist will leave no stone unturned.

The federal government has already shown it is willing to cut funding from errant sports that don’t get their act together so is now ramping things up even further.

As part of the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook revealed on Thursday, the government is chipping in $13.7 million to enable independent bodies to step in and investigate serious complaints.

“This is an important measure to ensure a high level of independence if and when an inquiry is sought,” Federal Sports Minister Richard Colbeck said.

“We know how important that can be and will ensure sporting bodies do not become a law unto themselves.”

SIA chief executive David Sharpe said the funding would correct “a flaw in the national sport integrity ecosystem which has seen too many matters dealt with inadequately.”

“This has been amplified through the financial impact of COVID-19 which has left many sports under-resourced to deal with complex and emerging threats,” he said.

The remaining $3.6 million will go to the National Sports Tribunal (NST), which was created to resolve disputes through mediation, arbitration and conciliation.

Initially funded through to 2022, the NST is getting extra cash to continue for another 12 months as more and more integrity cases emerge from everything to harassment, bullying and child abuse, illicit drugs, manipulating outcomes and code of conduct issues.

“Australians should have confidence in the integrity of sport at all levels,” Colbeck said.

“They should have confidence that integrity matters will be handled both independently and fairly. This program is designed to help sports meet those expectations.”

While it is not compulsory for sports to sign up to the framework, Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) President John Coates is urging every federation to do so.

“I certainly welcome Sports Minister Richard Colbeck’s and the government’s commitment which will ensure commencement of operations from March next year,” Coates said.

“There is absolutely no place for abuse in sport and the $10 million in funding addresses the missing link for effectively investigating complaints.”

While hockey is not specifically mentioned, the message to the sport could not be clearer after two dozen past and present players and staff came forward in the past few weeks to accuse officials of turning a blind eye to serious complaints about the way the women’s elite program has been run over the past decade.

The deeply disturbing claims include reports of body-shaming, bullying and intimidation. They have led to players developing serious eating disorders, self-harming and quitting the sport.