According to players, the body, SafeSport, fails at the goal for which it was founded, which is a safer sporting climate. They ask the representatives of the people to intervene. “There are significant errors in operations,” read a letter sent to the US Congress by 23 international players, including US star Megan Rapinoe.
American soccer players made their complaints public at the start of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where the team was the defending champion. They are calling for change just months after an independent investigation revealed abuse and sexual misconduct at multiple teams in the NSWL First Division.
SafeSport was created by Congress in 2017 as an independent body to address violations in sport and create an environment to prevent inappropriate behavior. Internationals say it has not succeeded. “SafeSport was founded with noble and important intentions, but we believe the current situation will fail to achieve what it should have achieved,” said the players.
They particularly condemn the agency’s appeals and arbitration procedures, which players say “can be harmful and traumatic for victims of abuse.”
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At the pinnacle of American women’s soccer, abuse and misconduct were structural. This is the conclusion of an independent study.
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