Regulatory Errors Let Abuse Cases in Swiss Sport Fall Through the New Sanctions System

For Silvana Leuenberger and Moira Ciliberto, freedom and carefree travel came only after years of physical and psychological abuse in Swiss trampoline training. The two former junior prospects say a coach at a northwestern Swiss performance center bullied athletes over their appearance and weight, broke them down before major competitions and made them compete while injured.

The athletes stayed silent for years. At the end of 2021, Leuenberger and Ciliberto joined five other young talents from the same training group in reporting the alleged abuse to the sports official responsible for elite sport at the local sports department. Switzerland’s new national reporting office for physical and psychological violence in sport then opened an investigation.

The investigation confirmed clear mistreatment, according to the article. But instead of receiving recognition of the wrongdoing and a final decision, the athletes entered another fight, this time with the institutions meant to protect them. The coach continues to reject all allegations.

The investigation has been completed, yet the athletes are still waiting for a final ruling. None of the sports judicial bodies wants to take jurisdiction, even though those bodies are responsible for legally assessing misconduct in sport. Most of the athletes have since turned away from trampoline competition. They have not, however, been able to let go of the case.

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