Australian Institute of Sport pays over $3 million to abused athletes

The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) has concluded a significant four-year restoration program, disbursing over $3 million to more than 225 athletes who endured abuse while holding scholarships between 1981 and 2013. This marks a step towards closing a difficult chapter in Australian sports history.

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I don't think that any amount of money restores people from the trauma that they have experienced.

Each athlete received between $5,000 and $50,000 as part of the program, which the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) is set to cease at the end of the year. ASC chief executive Kieren Perkins stated that while financial compensation is one component, the program's primary value lay in giving former athletes a voice and acknowledging the harm they experienced.

"I don't think that any amount of money restores people from the trauma that they have experienced," Perkins told AAP. He added that hearing the organization formally apologize and acknowledge the unacceptable nature of the abuse, and that it was not the athletes' fault, was "extremely powerful and worthwhile."

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Hearing that the organisation absolutely is sorry for what occurred and acknowledges it was unacceptable, and it wasn't their [the athletes'] fault, because they were children at the time, it's extremely powerful and worthwhile.

Many former athletes expressed guilt for not coming forward sooner, fearing their silence perpetuated abuse. Perkins reassured them that their experiences were valid and crucial for driving change. The program, which also included counseling, aims to influence current practices within the AIS and broader sporting bodies.

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Everyone who has been involved with the restorative engagement program, their first priority, by a mile, is wanting to know that their experience isn't happening to athletes today.

Perkins emphasized the need to move away from defensive and combative responses to complaints, advocating instead for acknowledging and addressing the human beings who come forward. This approach, he believes, is essential for fostering a safer and more supportive environment in Australian sport, though he admits "there's still heaps of work to do."

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They often feel guilty that they didn't do enough to bring forward their stories … that maybe because they didn't act back in the day, this is perpetuated on to other people.