France’s top athletes have signed a letter in support of a champion figure skater who has accused her former coach of sexually assaulting her as a teenager.
In an autobiography released last week, Sarah Abitbol alleges that Gilles Beyer first raped her when she was aged 15.
Prosecutors in France have now opened an investigation.
In the letter – signed by more than 50 competitors – the athletes said they were “disgusted… but not surprised”.
“We can no longer be silent! It is time to act collectively and realize that breaking the silence also means serving sport,” the letter reads. It was written by members of the Commission of High-Level Athletes (CAHN), part of France’s Olympic Committee (CNOSF).
Ms Abitbol’s coach Mr Beyer has admitted to “intimate” and “inappropriate” relations with her, and said he was “sincerely sorry”.
As part of their investigation, prosecutors said they would try to establish if anyone else had been abused.
Three other skaters have accused Mr Beyer and two more coaches – who are all from the official French Ice-Skating Federation (FFSG) – of abusing and raping them when they were minors.
Jean-Roland Racle denies the accusations and Michel Lotz has not commented.
Ms Abitbol and her skating partner, Stéphane Bernadis, are 10-time French national champions, and have won seven European medals. At the 2000 World Championships, the two became the first French pair to win a world medal in nearly 70 years.
What does Sarah Abitbol say?
In her book, Such a Long Silence, Ms Abitbol alleged that she was raped by Mr Beyer between 1990 and 1992.
“He started to do horrible things leading to sexual abuse,” she told L’Obs magazine. “It was the first time a man touched me.”
The former skater, who is now 44, rejected Mr Beyer’s apology and said that she wanted accountability for “all those who covered up [the crimes] both in the club and the federation”.
Mr Beyer, after coaching Ms Abitbol, went on to direct France’s national skating teams. In the early 2000s he was the subject of two investigations into misconduct.
The second investigation, conducted by France’s sports ministry, found repeated “serious acts” against young skaters. His contract as a technical adviser was terminated in 2001.
But despite his dismissal, Mr Beyer continued to work with hockey club Les Francais Volants and, until 2018, served several terms with the FFSG.
On Monday, French Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu called for the resignation of Didier Gailhaguet, who has been president of the FFSG almost continuously since 1998.
Mrs Maracineanu said that a “general dysfunction” existed within the federation, and Mr Gailhaguet had a “moral and personal responsibility” to step down.
While unable to sack him, Mrs Maracineanu said the federation would face sanctions if he remained.
Mr Gailhaguet, however, has not yet resigned. The FFSG president has announced a press conference on Wednesday, where he reportedly promised to reveal documents backing up his handling of the case.
