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Friday 9 November 2018

Government

Olympic CAPITAL

funds not

usable for

abuse WON

probes

By EDDIE PELLS
AP National Writer
DENVER (AP) — A grow-
ing sex-abuse problem in
Olympic sports has led to
a steady stream of Con-
gressional hearings and a
three-year grant worth $2.2
million.
Yet not a penny of those
federal funds can be used
to fight the actual prob-
lem: investigating or resolv-
ing more than 800 open
cases, many brought by
victims themselves.
That leaves an ever-grow-
ing backlog for the U.S.
Center for SafeSport, the
organization that opened
20 months ago to investi-
gate sex-abuse complaints
in Olympic sports.
"We didn't realize until the
(bid instructions for the
grant) came out that we
would not be able to use
it for performing investiga-
tions," said SafeSport CEO
Shellie Pfohl. "Clearly, that
is a need, and we are con-
tinuing to look for more
robust funding, both from
government sources, as
well as from outside of gov-
ernment."
SafeSport's mission is to
investigate cases and
serve as an independent
clearinghouse for educat-
ing about abuse, with the
authority to ban athletes
and coaches across or-
ganizations that run Olym-
pic sports in the United
States. It is backed by the
U.S. Olympic Committee, T.J. Oshie scores game-winner
which took steps to de-
certify USA Gymnastics this for Capitals to beat Penguins
week for botching an orga-
nizational rebuild following
the sexual abuse scandal Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8), of Russia, leaps up for the puck as Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Carl Hagelin (62)
involving now-imprisoned watches during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018, in Washington.
team doctor Larry Nassar. Associated Press
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