A class action lawsuit against Gymnastics Canada and provincial gymnastics federations was filed Wednesday in the Supreme Court of British Columbia over alleged abuses that were allegedly unaddressed and unresolved.
Signing an open letter addressed to Gymnastics Canada, Sports Canada and Federal Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge, Amelia Cline prompted this request, which was brought by the companies Camp, Fiorante, Matthews Mogerman in Vancouver, and Howie, Sacks & Henry in Toronto.
According to Radio-Canada Sports, about twenty other complainants, athletes and coaches, have indicated their intention to join the class action if it continues.
In court documents filed Wednesday, Amelia Cline said she was sexually, physically and psychologically abused by coaches Vladimir Lashin and Svetlana Lashina while the couple ran the Coquitlam-based Omega Gymnastics Club. gathered between 40 and 60 young gymnasts.
The cases allegedly took place between July 2000 and March 2003, when the plaintiff left gymnastics following multiple injuries that, according to him, were a direct result of the ill -treatment he allegedly suffered.
In the 32-page document, Vladimir Lashin is accused of having inappropriate physical contact, causing permanent hyperextension injury by sitting on the gymnast, forcing him to train and participate in competitions despite of his injuries, or request presentations. exceeding his capabilities.
Here, we also read, is added the undue pressures that he would have subjected to the young gymnast to maintain the weight that would put his health at risk, knowing that at 14 years old, he weighs only 37 kg (80 lb .).
According to Amelia Cline, Svetlana Lashina also allegedly made inappropriate physical contact by stretching the tracksuit of the club gymnasts higher over their legs, hips and buttocks, exposing their crotch.
Plaintiff alleges that the complaints were not answered from the leaders of the British Columbia Gymnastics Federation and Gymnastics Canada.
Vladimir Lashin was rewarded a year later by being awarded the reins of the Canadian artistic gymnastics team at the Athens Olympics in 2004, according to the class action lawsuit.
In 2008, he and his wife were named coach of the year by their provincial federation. Vladimir Lashin was then promoted as National Coach and High Performance Director, positions he held until his departure in 2010.
In addition to Gymnastics Canada and the British Columbia Gymnastics Federation, those in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec are also included in the class action lawsuit.
All persons in position at the time of the situations in which they are accused, senior executives as well as ordinary employees, may be held accountable for their actions if the request for class action is accepted.
Let us recall that more than 450 gymnasts present and past signed the open letter which denounced both cultures. toxic within Gymnastics Canada and the inaction of the national federation in the face of other alleged psychological and physical abuse.
Source: Radio-Canada
