Four athletes reiterated their call for national investigations to shed light on culture in their respective sports in Canada during a Canadian Heritage Standing Committee hearing on Monday.

Soccer players Ciara McCormack and Andrea Neil, as well as boxer Myriam Da Silva Rondeau and fencer Emily Mason have each called for an investigation into the handling of complaints of assault and mismanagement that are plaguing their respective sports organizations and those across the country.

These women discussed the obstacles they encountered in speaking out against inappropriate behavior before the Canadian Heritage Standing Committee. They also stressed that athletes need better protection, including through legislation that supports those who choose to break the silence.

Liberal MP Kirsty Duncan, who served as sport secretary from 2015 to 2019, says more needs to be done to make sport safer for young people. “My concern is that if we don’t do an investigation, in 5 or 10 years we’ll be having the same discussions,” she told The Canadian Press on Monday. They are only children and they have only one youth to live. »

Such an investigation would be lengthy and wide-ranging, the elected official said, and would provide a safe place for abuse and wrongdoing to be reported. “It’s time for people to come out and speak their mind and put young people and athletes first. True leaders act. »

His comments come after four female athletes reminded elected federal officials of the urgent need for an investigation into sports culture in Canada.

Ciara McCormack, who wrote a text describing the abuse she witnessed by former Canada women’s soccer team coach Bob Biranda, stressed that she no longer felt safe since the silence. Biranda was sentenced to 16 months in prison in 2022 for sexual offenses against four teenage athletes.

“Is the sports minister watching what’s happening? She wondered. Is the Prime Minister watching? Is the person making these decisions watching? That had far greater consequences than the impact on our sporting careers, and that’s disappointing. »

Myriam Da Silva Rondeau won a gold and a silver medal at the Pan American Games and placed ninth at the 2020 Olympics. However, she says she doesn’t remember those achievements due to psychological trauma.

The athlete was notably the subject of a lawsuit from the Canadian Boxing Federation’s high-performance director over comments she posted on social media regarding alleged assaults. “We need help and we need people to prevent it [qu’ils] Use our grievances against us” in court, she tearfully said.

Rachael Denhollander, a lawyer and ex-gymnast who denounced the actions of Larry Nassar at USA Gymnastics, also spoke before the Canadian Heritage Standing Committee.

Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge told reporters that an answer would be forthcoming but wanted to ensure the investigation was well organized and monitored. “My goal is to create an environment where athletes can give testimonies and share their experiences and suggestions,” she explained.

For their part, the athletes present on Monday demanded quick action. “As more days go by, more children come into these environments. That’s unacceptable,” criticized Emily Mason.

To see in the video