G4C RESPONSE TO BG’S STATEMENT ON THE ICP APPEAL PANEL (24th MAY 2024)

Gymnasts For Change (G4C) welcomes the decision of the Independent Complaints Process (ICP) Appeal Panel, that a case of abuse involving a G4C member can now be heard. We are pleased that the ICP Appeal Panel agreed with our position and our member’s representations, stating the arbitrary time-barring applied in this case was nonsensical for a process that was set up to deal specifically with historical matters.

We are encouraged that the original ruling will not be used to prevent further full hearings into the conduct of abusive coaches. However, in publishing the Appeal Panel’s decision, British Gymnastics (BG) has drawn attention to serious issues of concern that remain with the ICP.

The ICP Appeal Panel stated in 10.1 of its decision:

“The ICP Process for dealing with complaints is independent of BG and any decision making and investigation takes place on the instructions and oversight of the Independent Person. No member of BG’s staff is involved in investigating, presenting or determining any complaint under the ICP Protocol and BG only becomes involved at the appeal stage.”

This is at odds with all we know about how the protocols are being implemented. It is a fact that British Gymnastics’ employees have both investigated and presented cases for ICP Panels. However, if the ICP Appeal Panel’s assertion is correct, and the ICP’s ‘independence’ relies on no cases being handled by BG employees, then it is clear the appropriate procedures were not followed in a number of previously failed cases, presented and investigated by BG, and it is imperative that these cases are re-investigated and re-heard.

If even those involved in the administration and oversight of the ICP process do not fully understand the protocols nor what is happening in practice - and if time and time again it falls to organisations like ours representing participants in the ICP to highlight inaccuracies and discrepancies, none of the parties involved in this process can move forward with the trust and confidence they deserve.

We are also very disappointed the G4C members involved in this case were not afforded the common courtesy of being advised by BG of its statement release prior to 24th May. The statement resulted in further public interest, scrutiny and publicity of the case, in detriment to our members. We are frustrated that despite repeated calls for the ICP to become a trauma informed process, BG has once again failed to adopt appropriate measures to protect affected persons in the ICP.

G4C have always asserted that the ICP is deeply flawed and the Appeal Panel’s confused understanding shown in the summary statement at 10.1 is further evidence of this. We do not agree with BG’s statement that the ICP ‘remains a workable framework for the investigation and determination of complaints made under it’. Instead we have consistently highlighted the need for the ICP to be paused so that the fundamental problems raised by our members can be properly investigated and remedied, and a new disciplinary process put in place in which all parties can have confidence.

We publicly call on BG and Sports Resolutions to do better.