Athlete Rights Australia acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to elders past, present and future.

David Mark hits the Mark with this article, linked here. Mark's story represents marvellous news - an apology from Volleyball Australia after decades of silence in the face of abuse suffered by multiple athletes. Jacob Holmes and Laura Sigal have done a magnificent job of holding their ground while Volleyball Australia resist cultural change. Thanks also go to the ASC's Kieran Perkins for weighing in.

Ultimately my deepest regards go to these brave athletes who spoke out about their abuse despite all the challenges that disclosure brings on. Without their bravery, we have no intervention and the cycle continues unabated with more children and athletes harmed. Thank you to these athletes, past and present, for enduring through the re-traumatisation that adverse institutional responses bring on, and for holding firm in making sure the events were raised to public attention.

Aspects of this story that still need to be addressed:

👉 When does the public receive the full report?
👉 Was Volleyball Australia receiving public funding while it was busy resisting cultural change?
👉 Where does specific accountability for the coaches fit in all of this?
👉 When past and present athletes contribute to reviews, who takes responsibility for implementing outcomes?
👉 Who will regulate this space if the outcomes are not implemented?

Recently, I contributed to a review of the Australian Sports Commission Act which goes some way towards answering this last question. Stay tuned! Contact Follow

News just in…

ARA co-founder Alison Quigley is thrilled to hear the news that the indomitable Gym Alliance Aus team over in West Australia, headed up by Julia Murcia and her colleagues, has secured a redress scheme for athletes who were harmed in gymnastics. Although the scheme is limited to $15,000 per applicant and does not compensate for the harms, the acknowledgment is critical. ARA thanks the West Australian government and specifically Sports Minister David Templeman for facilitating this shift.

The scheme is a timely reminder that children in sport have a right to safety, held sacred under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child at Article 3.

To read the article please click on the link here for the ABC article https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-29/former-wais-gymnasts-acknowledgement-payments/103906764?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other

Or here for the Ministerial statement https://www.wa.gov.au/government/media-statements/Cook-Labor-Government/Former-WAIS-gymnasts-to-be-offered-acknowledgement-payments-20240529

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