Paralympic Committee of Chile Accused of Discrimination and Abuse Against Paratathlete

The Chilean Paralympic Committee (Copachi) is under fire following a formal complaint lodged with the Chamber of Deputies' Sports and Recreation Commission. The parents of paratathlete Trinidad Arroyo Fernández, supported by the Fundación Defensoría del Deportista, accuse Copachi of severe discrimination, harassment, and rights violations against their daughter.

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It is psychological damage, violation of rights. Trinidad has been treated with foul language.

Verónica Fernández, Arroyo's mother, detailed the profound psychological damage her daughter has endured. She told lawmakers that Copachi staff used derogatory language, calling Trinidad unintelligent due to her cognitive intellectual disability. Fernández recounted how officials suggested Arroyo would be better suited for ballet, implying she lacked the potential for her chosen sport.

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The entire Paralympic Committee team saying that Trinidad, for having a cognitive intellectual disability, is stupid. And for being stupid, she better go do ballet, that's what she's good for, that she has no projection for what she's doing.

Fernández also described an incident of deliberate ostracization during an international competition. She stated that Copachi falsely accused Arroyo of urinating in hotel rooms in Lima, a rumor spread among other athletes, leading to her isolation from the delegation. "They treated her because she has a cognitive intellectual disability, they invented, because it is a lie, as a mother I can say it, that Trinidad urinated in all the hotel rooms in Lima, which was commented on to all the athletes and that is why no one ever wanted to talk to her again," Fernández testified.

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They treated her because she has a cognitive intellectual disability, they invented, because it is a lie, as a mother I can say it, that Trinidad urinated in all the hotel rooms in Lima, which was commented on to all the athletes and that is why no one ever wanted to talk to her again.

Fernández concluded her testimony by sharing how she tried to comfort her daughter amidst these distressing events. She told Trinidad that people sometimes do not recognize the scent of perfume, an attempt to soften the harsh reality of the mistreatment. The complaint highlights serious concerns about the welfare and rights of para-athletes within the Chilean Paralympic system.

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So that Trinidad would be calm and trying to, between quotes, sweeten the situations, I told her that people sometimes do not know the smell of perfume.