Genrikh Sretenski pleads guilty to reduced charge in NY court

[MacMadame]

It's far from simple. Maybe he pleaded guilty because he felt he had no chances in court?

Which would only happen if the evidence was overwhelming. Because in the US it's very hard to get a conviction for these sorts case because people are so willing to blame the victim. Most of the time these cases never get this far.

In this case, we have reports of hundreds of text messages sent over a short period of time to an underage girl who was uninterested in him. I'm not surprised he pled down.

[victoriaheidi]

I can't figure out what I was doing in September. Following this case, though, I was not. So I'm playing catch-up tonight.

I have a bunch of questions:
1. How does banning coaches work? Is it through USFS or PSA, or both? Can a person be banned by PSA, but not USFS, and vice versa?
2. How does one find out who is banned? In gymnastics, USAG has a list on its website.
3. Why does this keep happening? I mean, within the FS community. This is one of several that's cropped up in the last...6 months? Is there too much fear of being ostracized like this girl has been?

[Willowway]

Answering your question 2 - the list of banned or suspended coaches for both PSA and USFSA is published on the PSA website. http://www.skatepsa.com/PDF%20Docume...%20persons.pdf

[julieann]

It's far from simple. Maybe he pleaded guilty because he felt he had no chances in court?

This...not to mention it's cheaper to plead guilty with no jail time than to go to court for a year and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a defense.

Which would only happen if the evidence was overwhelming.

If it were overwhelming they wouldn't have offered a plea deal. It would have gone to trial.

[MacMadame]

It's pretty common to offer a plea to save everyone some time. The DAs office in most jurisdiction is practical like that.

There is absolutely nothing I have read about this case that would make me think Sretenski is being railroaded for something he didn't do. I think people are making excuses for him because he's famous and pretty and they don't want to believe someone whose career they enjoyed could possibly do something like this.

[DaiKozOda]

Well, before the court's decision, everybody deserves to have the benifit of doubt... Right now, and considering the outcome of this case, I just hope he gets banned from coaching any underage skater.

[Sk8tn]

It's pretty common to offer a plea to save everyone some time. The DAs office in most jurisdiction is practical like that.

There is absolutely nothing I have read about this case that would make me think Sretenski is being railroaded for something he didn't do. I think people are making excuses for him because he's famous and pretty and they don't want to believe someone whose career they enjoyed could possibly do something like this.

This didn't come from a figure the public would have seen as a visible trainwreck; it was from someone seen as capable, accomplished and professional. It's just another case that erodes institutional trust (like abuses of power relationships in other arenas - Penn State, church scandals, any number of local examples in every location).

Plus, the climate in the US for victims is not favorable. Look at the Steubenville, OH case. It was very close to being swept under the rug.

[EuroWaltzing]

From a legal perspective, the defense counsel needs to investigate the mental health of the accuser in that if the accuser is delusional, a compulsive liar, or has other mental health issues then that it very relevant to the case. I'm not saying, and I never said that Sretenski was innocent, nor did I mention that the accuser is lying. I do feel for the skater and hope she is able to overcome the issue and move on with her life.

Relationships between men and 16-year old females are common in countries outside of North America and Western Europe.

[valyrian]

Relationships between men and 16-year old females are common in countries outside of North America and Western Europe.

That has no bearing on the fact that a) no means no means no and b) the age of consent in New York is 17.

[EuroWaltzing]

That has no bearing on the fact that a) no means no means no and b) the age of consent in New York is 17.

You are exactly correct. But I'm thinking that old habits die hard and this Sretenski guy is Russian and does not want to give up his old ways from the old country. Do you know what I mean?

[RFOS]

You are exactly correct. But I'm thinking that old habits die hard and this Sretenski guy is Russian and does not want to give up his old ways from the old country. Do you know what I mean?

Too bad! And I certainly hope no means no in Russia also, and non-consensual acts and obsessive text messaging harassment would not be accepted by the culture.

[Cocomo]

From a legal perspective, the defense counsel needs to investigate the mental health of the accuser in that if the accuser is delusional, a compulsive liar, or has other mental health issues then that it very relevant to the case. I'm not saying, and I never said that Sretenski was innocent, nor did I mention that the accuser is lying. I do feel for the skater and hope she is able to overcome the issue and move on with her life.

Relationships between men and 16-year old females are common in countries outside of North America and Western Europe.

If you are implying the accuser has mental health issues it only makes the case against Genrikh stronger, investigating the mental health of the accuser does not change what Genrikh did and pled guilty to.

[Debbie S]

I can't figure out what I was doing in September. Following this case, though, I was not. So I'm playing catch-up tonight.

I have a bunch of questions:
1. How does banning coaches work? Is it through USFS or PSA, or both? Can a person be banned by PSA, but not USFS, and vice versa?
2. How does one find out who is banned? In gymnastics, USAG has a list on its website.
3. Why does this keep happening? I mean, within the FS community. This is one of several that's cropped up in the last...6 months? Is there too much fear of being ostracized like this girl has been?

Answering your first question, the PSA and USFS have a partnership/reciprocal arrangement. Any decisions made by either with respect to disciplinary action against a coach are recognized by the other. USFS makes the decision to ban a coach from USFS-sanctioned comps, shows, test sessions, etc. If Genrikh is banned for life from USFS, the PSA will apply that ban to its own organization.

[overedge]

From a legal perspective, the defense counsel needs to investigate the mental health of the accuser in that if the accuser is delusional, a compulsive liar, or has other mental health issues then that it very relevant to the case. I'm not saying, and I never said that Sretenski was innocent, nor did I mention that the accuser is lying. I do feel for the skater and hope she is able to overcome the issue and move on with her life.

If you "feel for her", then why are you posting on a public message board that her mental health should be investigated?

[Vagabond]

From a legal perspective, the defense counsel needs to investigate the mental health of the accuser in that if the accuser is delusional, a compulsive liar, or has other mental health issues then that it very relevant to the case.

Well, according to you....

A poster on another board mentioned that Sretenski cannot write in English and if that is the case then it puts a whole different spin on the situation and raises another set of questions:

....

Were the student's previous mental health issues considered?

Hiring a coach who cannot write in English is not generally considered a sign of mental illness in the United States, but perhaps it is in your country.

Welcome to FSU. I expect that both you and the rest of us are going to find your tenure here interesting, to say the least.

[LadyNit]

Enough. Discussion or speculation about the minor victim in the Sretenski case is inappropriate and potentially damaging. This thread is closed.

If you are an offender, consider yourself warned. Any further discussion of the minor victim is off limits. If you persist, you will be banned.