• The first International Conference on the fight against sexual violence in sport is organized this Thursday by the CNOSF in Paris.
  • In France, things are gradually taking shape since the realization of the dramatic scale of the phenomenon in the wake of the release of Sarah Abitbol's book, "Un si long silence", in January 2020.
  • Catherine Moyon, a former athlete who was raped in the early 90s, is now co-president of the CNOSF Commission responsible for moving the lines in French sport. She assures "20 Minutes" that she does not doubt her success despite the "immense" work that remains to be done in this area.

Three years after the release of Sarah Abitbol's book, in which the former skater reveals the sexual violence suffered during her career, the movement for freedom of speech and the organization of the fight against this scourge continue their way. A national convention for the prevention of violence in sport takes place every year, and among other actions have been set up a unit dedicated to their reporting within the Ministry of Sports or the control of the integrity of supervisors, including volunteers.

A new step was reached this Thursday with the holding of the first International Conference on the fight against sexual violence in sport, at the headquarters of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) in Paris. Catherine Moyon de Baecque will be, of course. The first high-level athlete to break the code of silence after being raped in 1991, the former hammer thrower paved the way for the fight, alone against all, finally convicting her attackers. She is now co-chair of the "Commission to combat sexual violence and discrimination in sport", set up in September 2021 by the CNOSF and catalyst for this meeting.

Why did you choose to give an international dimension to this first conference?

It is entirely justified. It seemed important to us, in the perspective of the 2024 Olympic Games, that French sport opens up to society but also internationally. It is not alone that we will solve this issue of violence in sport, it is a universal fight, which is growing. We do not all have the same models of action depending on the country, but we can share experiences, draw inspiration and benefit from the good practices of others.

Does the movement for the freedom of victims' speech, which we have been witnessing in France for the past three years, also exist in other countries of the world?

Absolutely. This #MeToo movement, which has expanded to sport, has been important around the world. Each country has a different policy of means and a structure that make the measures more or less effective, but there are things in Canada, in Spain also in some areas they are very innovative, in Switzerland ... The France was very late, it is now average. We are making progress, but we must continue. It's about preserving lives. Sport is a wonderful way to grow, to flourish. It should not destroy. When it does, we can no longer look the other way, we must live up to our responsibilities.


Would you say that we are now up to the challenge?

No, for now we are on an upward path but we must have a lot of humility, we still have a long way to go. And that should be done as quickly as possible. The fight against violence is a vital, and above all legal, priority. These are crimes and misdemeanours punishable by law, it is illegal to let them continue. It is still far too early to be satisfied with the positive consequences of our actions. There have been three national conventions, which have been steps forward, but they do not represent any real progress at the moment. The first of the advances, essential, will be an official recognition at the highest level of the State because it is from there, then through all strata of French society and sport, that we will be able to display coherence and clearly affirm that this violence is not acceptable, that it is condemnable.

At the end of December 2021, the report of the Ministry of Sports' report processing unit reported 655 people implicated in 610 cases. This is still only the tip of the iceberg in your opinion?

The figures are far below reality. We must be aware that the scale of this violence, in France and in the world, is innumerable and terrifying. The curve of violence continues to rise, which is why we cannot be satisfied with the means in place. They have the merit of existing, but they are insufficient. It is the mission of our committee to work to strengthen them and find new ones. And I have no doubt that we will find solutions.

Do all the federations play the game?

There are 109 sports federations that are members of the CNOSF do not all have the same means, the same structures. There is a will to move forward on these issues, but insufficient. We are aware of the need to mobilize and involve more. There is still a gap between the state of mind and this will to act and that is our responsibility.

Are we more at the stage of awareness than real action?

Nearly 80 Federations participated in the inventory undertaken by our committee, reported their information, their concerns, their problems. Now, the next step will be to mobilize all the expertise to provide solutions. We are not here to point fingers but to change things. There was still this mobilization that had never been conducted, these massive rises from the Fedees who said "here is where we are, this is why we are not moving forward, this is what we do not know how to do". We will find the solutions, I assure you.

What are the main obstacles identified?

The first is to achieve this victory at the highest level of the state that I mentioned earlier. Then there is the heterogeneous nature of the sports movement, with the federations that have taken the problem in hand, that have put in place mechanisms because they have the resources to do so, and others that are helpless. It is my role to bring coherence, to bring people together, to establish an effective policy. It is not done by snapping your fingers, but the fact that we took the time to think, to build to act, the foundations of the commission are solid, they will allow us to be effective.

Will you have your own levers of action or will it necessarily go through the ministries?

We will present tomorrow [this Thursday] associations that will become, in a form still to be defined, interlocutors in order to carry out concrete actions, in connection with the decentralized services of the CNOSF in the territories. We are not going to wait for the departments to do it, they are doing their job very well, we can also move forward on our side.

From a more personal point of view, how do you feel today, more than 30 years after breaking the silence and having been alone in this struggle for a long time?

For me, this is always just the beginning. I feel a growing confidence and hope, but I am very aware of the immense challenge that awaits us and of these lives that must be saved, consoled and valued. I carry this hope and this example in me, and I will not give up, my commitment is total. The fact of having escaped, of being in resilience, I have this responsibility to drag everyone with me, the victims, the entourage, the families but also the leaders, the ministerial teams. The organization of French sport makes everyone work a little in his corner, our role at the CNOSF is to bring coherence, an ethical and political line. We must embody this ethic, it is precious.

  • Sport
  • CNOSF
  • Sexual violence
  • Ministry of Sports