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THE UNDER-FIRE president of France’s ice skating federation Didier Gailhaguet resigned today over a damaging sex abuse scandal engulfing his sport.
“In the spirit of conciliation, I took the sensible decision to resign with philosophy, dignity but no bitterness,” the 66-year-old announced after a meeting of the federation’s federal council in Paris.
His resignation after nearly two decades in charge comes as French ice skating reels from claims of rape against a former national coach, Gilles Beyer.
In an autobiography published on January 30, former world championship bronze medallist Sarah Abitbol accused Beyer of raping her several times from 1990 to 1992 when she was between the ages of 15 and 17.
That bombshell claim led to further accusations of assault.
Skater Helene Godard, accused Beyer, 62, and another coach Jean-Roland Racle of sexual abuse when she was a minor.
And sports daily L’Equipe reported that the mother of another young skater claimed that Beyer sexually harassed and blackmailed her in 2017 and 2018 in return for coaching her daughter.
Gailhaguet had initially refused calls from Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu to move aside, telling a news conference on Wednesday that he had “absolutely not protected Gilles Beyer”.
“I found out about 90% of these incidents in the press and in a book… 10 days ago,” he said.
‘Dictatorship’
In his resignation address to reporters he denounced “the ministerial dictatorship and in particular the shameful threat of withdrawing support” from the federation made by Maracineanu, for whom Gailhaguet’s exit was “a first stage”.
Maracineanu’s government department is investigating the scandal.
“We owe it to the victims” to see this through until the end, she said.
Abitbol was unimpressed at today’s development, telling French news magazine L’Obs that “the entire federation where he had friends still has to be cleaned out”.
“Those who remained quiet and supported his system are still there,” she added.
On Thursday the lawyer representing Beyer told AFP that his client was prepared to talk to prosecutors investigating claims of sexual abuse of minors in figure skating.
“Gilles Beyer has been placed on the chopping block for days by the media but he will save any comment for the prosecutors,” Thibault de Montbrial said.
Under Gailhaguet’s watch, Beyer, already Abitbol’s coach, took over as manager of the French national team.
There were previous complaints of inappropriate behaviour, and in 2000 an inquiry led the then sports ministry to remove Beyer from his technical role at the federation, but he remained a coach at one of France’s top skating clubs.
Beyer held an executive position at the federation until 2018.
Before this scandal erupted French ice skating’s reputation had already been tarnished by an investigation into US-based Morgan Cipres for allegedly sending lewd photographs to a 13-year-old girl, and by Laurine Lecavelier who tested positive for cocaine.
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Is that all?! If they got at Denis they would shake that out of his back pocket.
10m is a pittance. Does that even cover the cost of CAB?
Imagine how much they’d get if they went after the bankers
Great to hear that the CAB are doing great work, hopefully there will be no political interference when ,not if they go after politicians. O; I almost forgot about garda commissioners getting late night visits.
None from any ‘good’ republicans, or even ‘bad’ ones?
I fcuking didn’t. I hate the way they say Irish people. We won’t see a penny of it. Yet we still have to pay for it.
Yeah I don’t think the mean individuals..
Do you actually suggest that the €4m should have been divided and returned in cash to the population of ireland.
i.e. a cheque for less than €1 each?
And in your opinion would that be a better approach than, say, adding a ward of new beds in a hospital and manning them for a year?
Or improving a few accident black spots around the country?
What about our money that was criminally taken by unsecured bondholders and the ECB. The figures from that HEIST would make 4 million look like small change.
Big swinging m€&!?y 4million back to the exchequer, I’m sure multiples of that were spent in its collection.
The Irish people DID NOT get back almost €4 million worth of dirty money in 2014 as that money probably went to the friends and lobbyists of the government, they had a good time with that money…
have your say