Ahn Cheol-soo: "Athlete Violence Should Be Addressed with a 'Victim-Centered Approach'"

"Need to Establish a 'Separate First, Investigate Later' System"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, on the 7th, regarding the death of the late Choi Sook-hyun, a triathlon athlete who suffered extreme abuse from coaches and seniors in her team, stated, "We should not try to understand the perpetrator’s actions but focus on the victim," and added, "From now on, we must resolve issues based on ‘victim-centered principles.’"

On the same day, Ahn held an emergency meeting at the National Assembly to discuss measures to eradicate violence against athletes and establish a safety protection system. He said, “We should not think about why the perpetrator committed the abuse or what happens if the perpetrator is punished, but rather why victims arise, what suffering victims endure during relief processes, and what efforts are needed to prevent recurrence of harm.”

Ahn emphasized, “It is necessary to establish a system of separating athletes and perpetrators before investigation. Current laws, including the so-called ‘Athlete Protection Act’ under the National Sports Promotion Act, do not include provisions for separating victim athletes and abusive coaches. As long as athletes remain subordinated to coaches, proper investigations and victim protection cannot be ensured. Legal grounds and requirements must be strengthened to mandate immediate separation upon reports of abuse.”

Ahn pointed out, “It should be mandatory for sports coaches to obtain qualifications to work at frontline schools or teams. The revised law adds numerous disqualifications for sports coaches, preventing those convicted of assault or sexual crimes from obtaining coaching qualifications for extended periods. However, the problem is that even without coaching qualifications, individuals can still freely operate in frontline schools or teams.”

Ahn stated, “The Sports Ethics Center must be required to report confirmed allegations and be supervised by bodies such as the National Human Rights Commission. Although the revised law establishes the Sports Ethics Center and grants it the authority to report, the relevant provisions allow the center discretion not to report. If allegations are confirmed, reporting must be mandatory.”