Ice dancer Mazingue faces inaction from authorities after rape complaint

[Primorskaya]

Well now. Let's see how much of a response this gets.

 

[skatfan]

I’m not known to be checking who is liking or commenting on social media content, but it caught my eye when I was about to leave a comment on Solenes instagram how there were no actual skaters, her peers from figure skating liking or commenting. I recognise many accounts from long time fans of the sport and some media but I did not see any skater and their silence is deafening

It's not great - with IAM so powerful, I can imagine skaters not wanting to be on the record against that center. What I also wonder about is that Evan Bates is an ISU Athlete representative. I know this is not in his official portfolio, but surely he has some soft power that he could, if he wished, use. But then he and Madison had the Canadanes at their wedding, so...

 

[annie_mg]

Sadly, this seems to be the norm. Look at Penn State/Joe Paterno/Jerry Sandusky, Larry Nassar & USA Gymnsatics. People knew for YEARS (decades??) and swept it under the rug until it couldn’t be hidden anymore. It seems people are worried that a scandal, even if they aren’t directly involved, will ruin their reputation so they stay quiet. That needs to change!!!!

Yes but in Nassar's case, reporting him also meant admitting that they knew he was hurting the girls They were much more at fault than MFD who had nothing to do with this incident.

 

[kwanfan1818]

There's not obvious friendship, though, with Destyanov, who trains in a different group vs. being training mates and good enough friends to invite to your destination wedding. There's also not another person, Fournier-Beaudry to consider, and they come as a unit.

 

[PRlady]

There's not obvious friendship, though, with Destyanov, who trains in a different group vs. being training mates and good enough friends to invite to your destination wedding. There's also not another person, Fournier-Beaudry to consider, and they come as a unit.

Well he’s a unit with Flores especially with the legal marriage. But they are certainly not as long established as the Canadanes and he hadn’t been in the U.S. that long to make close friends.

 

[overedge]

Yes but in Nassar's case, reporting him also meant admitting that they knew he was hurting the girls They were much more at fault than MFD who had nothing to do with this incident.

She didn't witness it, no, but she was told about it.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Well he’s a unit with Flores especially with the legal marriage. But they are certainly not as long established as the Canadanes and he hadn’t been in the U.S. that long to make close friends.

Were Flores and Destyanov at C/B's wedding?

What I was trying to say was that there was no known reason for Bates to have any personal conflict over reporting Destyanov or sending the person who told him to the right contacts to report, which is quite different than his long-time relationship with FB/S.

 

[kosjenka]

why would Evan Bates report if he was not in the loop that this has happened?
I’m struggling to understand how this is wrapping up in the thread because Solene named people she told and Bates was not among them. From what I concluded, she was not even in Montréal since at the very least summer this year most likely April.

The whole situation is very bizarre, and I tend to think that there is something legal behind. Like maybe the school as an organisation is being investigated or they lawyered up and briefed everybody who is coached there? those are the things that are coming up to my mind and I’m not looking for excuses for them not speaking up or supporting publicly or saying anything publicly at all, it just seems very odd and I keep thinking that something very serious is behind this.

I find it very disturbing that a coach with this experience did not do their duty and report when agency like safe sport was created exactly for this situation when there may not even be a criminal investigation yet but there is an athlete speaking up.

 

[Vagabond]

But they are certainly not as long established as the Canadanes and he hadn’t been in the U.S. that long to make close friends.

Not even with his wife.

 

[Sylvia]

Were Flores and Destyanov at C/B's wedding?

It's Desyatov. I doubt it.

IIRC, wasn't Laurence one of Madison's bridesmaids? I recall posting that she accompanied Chock to NYC when she was wedding dress shopping in April 2023.

 

[Debbie S]

It's Desyatov. I doubt it.

IIRC, wasn't Laurence one of Madison's bridesmaids? I recall posting that she accompanied Chock to NYC when she was wedding dress shopping in April 2023.

I don't think Madi had bridesmaids, just a MOH (who was not Laurence), based on the pictures and the People magazine article. Laurence was definitely there, per IG pics. I assume Nik was there too, but I did not see him in anyone's posted pics (intentional omission?).

ETA: And no, Evan's name has not been mentioned as someone Solene told about the assault, so assuming he didn't know anything, he had no obligation (or info) to report. The original question was whether he had some sort of influence with the ISU, but SafeSport and the ISU are entirely different entities, and while the case is being investigated by SafeSport, there's nothing any other entity can do.

 

[Karen-W]

Isn't Elena Dostatni married to Andrzej Dostatni, one of the busiest/oft-selected ice dance tech specialists? Maybe the reason for not reporting Desyatov had to do with not wanting to piss off the spouse a likely tech panel member at some future competition.

 

[Sylvia]

Thanks for the clarification @Debbie S.

Isn't Elena Dostatni married to Andrzej Dostatni, one of the busiest/oft-selected ice dance tech specialists?

Yes.

 

[skatfan]

why would Evan Bates report if he was not in the loop that this has happened?

True. I was simply noting that Bates has an official position with the ISU.

 

[jmtfti]

I think I had spotted Nik in the background of one or two posts from C/B's wedding, but not sure which ones. He's also in a photo Olivia Smart posted of skaters on board the ferry to attend Kirsten and Liam's wedding this summer (not necessarily confirmation that he attended).

ETA: Just an offhand reply to Debbie S's earlier post; conversation has moved on in those two minutes!

 

[chameleonster]

Isn't Elena Dostatni married to Andrzej Dostatni, one of the busiest/oft-selected ice dance tech specialists? Maybe the reason for not reporting Desyatov had to do with not wanting to piss off the spouse a likely tech panel member at some future competition.

This is the only thing I can come up with, since Desyatov himself is not an important person in the figure skating community. If Safesport somehow didn't log MFD's complaint or said she couldn't make it as a third party(which I'm pretty sure is not actually in the rules of reporting), wouldn't she keep Solene in the loop?

The thing is, even if there was some backlash to MFD reporting the assault within the community or by Dostatni specifically, if there's any coaching camp in the world that could have weathered it it's IAM, especially post Russian ban.

 

[ice coverage]

Among ISU efforts are its thirteen-page ISU Athlete Safeguarding Policy; a designated ISU Safeguarding Officer (currently Cristina Ibarra); and explanations in writing of procedures for reporting. [ETA: Ibarra has been certified by IOC after taking its seven-month training course for safeguarding officers.]

Communication No. 2479
ISU Athlete Safeguarding Policy

Excerpt: All those involved in the ISU sports have a responsibility to learn how to recognize and respond to signs of harassment and abuse. It is also incumbent upon all those involved to act on and report concerns that harassment and abuse of an athlete may be taking place. There may be times when abuse is reported from outside the sporting arena.​

Excerpt: The ISU will support ‘whistle blowers’ by providing a confidential reporting system. The ISU believes it is important for anyone who has concerns to speak up (“if you see something, say something”), in the confidence that wherever possible the organization will provide anonymity. The ISU encourages anyone who has such concerns to make a report promptly, to try to prevent continuing harm and damage to an athlete or participant.​

Excerpt from Confidential ISU Incident Report Form: This Incident Report Form may be used to make a report to the ISU under Article 7 of the ISU Code of Ethics, but the Form is not required to make a report. You may always use the reporting channel you feel most comfortable with, such as this Form, a phone call, an email or other means. [emphasis in original]​

https://current.isu.org/inside-isu/...munications/28392-isu-communication-2479/file [updated Aug 2023 (originally published May 2022)]

"Reporting and Procedures for Addressing Incidents of Harassment and Abuse" is the subject of Article 7 [starting on page 5] of ISU Code of Ethics 2024.

7.1 Anyone affected by or who has observed an alleged incident of harassment or abuse during the period of an ISU Event or any other ISU activity may either file a Statement of Complaint against the Alleged Offender in accordance with the ISU Disciplinary Rules of Procedure (currently ISU Communication No. 2551) or report the incident in writing or verbally to one of the following persons:​

The ISU Representative for the ISU Event;​

The ISU Event Director / Manager;​

The Chair of the ISU Medical Commission;​

The designated ISU Safeguarding Officer, currently Ms. Cristina Ibarra ([email protected]), who can also provide guidance to any individual regarding whether and how to report to the ISU observed or suspected harassment or abuse, in particular of an athlete;​

If a Skater is involved in the incident: any ISU Athletes Commission member. ...​

Excerpts from Section 7.2:​

All reports of harassment and abuse of a Skater through any of the above reporting channels shall be referred to the ISU Safeguarding Officer.​

... Based on the facts and evidence in the report, the ISU Safeguarding Officer will, if appropriate, after consultation with the Chair of the ISU Medical Commission and/or the ISU Legal Advisors, determine whether any follow-up action is warranted and recommend to the reporting person whether the matter should be submitted to the ISU Disciplinary Commission and/or notified to local authorities, as appropriate and required by local law.​

In case the reporting person decides not to submit the matter to the ISU Disciplinary Commission and/or to notify it to local authorities against the recommendation of the ISU Safeguarding Officer, the ISU Safeguarding Officer shall forward the report together with any comments to the ISU Council which may then decide whether to file a Statement of Complaint to the ISU Disciplinary Commission and/or notify the local authorities in its own name. However, if the reporting person is the alleged victim of the alleged incident, the ISU Safeguarding Officer shall forward the report only with the explicit oral or written consent of the reporting person.​

"Reciprocity with Other Organizations" is the subject of Section 7.6.​

https://current.isu.org/inside-isu/...munications/33974-isu-communication-2641/file (updated Jun 28, 2024)

After 2024 Congress, ISU recently has offered federations extra funding that is earmarked for safeguarding.

b) At a minimum the following must be implemented by the ISU Member:​

i) Adoption of an Athlete Safeguarding Policy by the ISU Member.​

ii) Creation and implementation of Athlete Safeguarding Procedures to implement the ISU Member’s Safeguarding Policy.​

iii) Identification and training of a Safeguarding Lead within the ISU Member federation, who shall have completed appropriate Safeguarding training (either training provided at a national level by an appropriate entity, or the three Safeguarding eLearning modules available here [https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/view.php?id=11403]).​

iv) Creation of a communication plan to raise awareness of Safeguarding matters within the ISU Member federation, including among Skaters, Coaches and Athlete Support Personnel, Officials, and federation staff members who have direct contact with Skaters. The communication plan must include how to report incidents of suspected or observed abuse or harassment to the ISU Member federation. [emphasis added]​

c) Athlete Safeguarding Education for Skaters, Coaches and other Athlete Support Personnel (such as medical staff, Team Leaders etc.), and also Skaters’ parents, is highly recommended.​

Templates and resources can be found on the ISU website and advice is available from the ISU Safeguarding Officer, Cristina Ibarra ([email protected]).​

... an additional report on the use of the C Contribution for the implementation of Athlete Safeguarding measures is required. ... [emphasis in original]​

https://current.isu.org/inside-isu/...munications/34103-isu-communication-2660/file (Aug 8, 2024)

ETA:​

ISU page for safeguarding has phone number and e-mail addresses for ISU Safeguarding Officer, and e-mail addresses for ISU Athlete Commission and chair of ISU Medical Commission.​

Athlete Safeguarding

The International Skating Union is the international sport federation administering Ice Skating sports throughout the world.

current.isu.org

2024 ISU Congress (Day 1, Session 2) devoted a significant chunk of time to safeguarding, including a focus on harassment and abuse. Head of the IOC Safe Sport Unit, named Kirsty Burrows, gave a live presentation. #SafeSport4all "It's everyone's responsibility" (She spoke at the Congress at the invitation of ISU President Jae Youl Kim, whom she called a champion of safeguarding.)​

https://current.isu.org/isu-news/ne...Iiwia2lyc3R5IGJ1cnJvd3MiXQ==&templateParam=15​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QOtP6dk__o​

ISU will host a SAYES Conference on Safeguarding Perspectives on Dec 5, 2024 in Lausanne, for both in-person and online participants. SAYES = Safeguarding Young European Skaters.
"This conference will bring together a diverse range of voices, including representatives from international and national federations, coaches, parents, and skaters."
"ISU Members are strongly encouraged to attend online."

The ISU will host a SAYES Conference on Safeguarding Perspectives on December 5th, 2024

The ISU will host a SAYES Conference on Safeguarding Perspectives on December 5th, 2024

isu.org

(ISU previously supported an all-day SAYES conference that was held the day before JGP Budapest in Sep 2023 at the official team hotel.
"Along with ISU Members from France (Fédération française des Sports de Glace), Hungary (Hungarian National Skating Federation – HNSF) and the Netherlands (KNSB), other partners of this project are the French University “Claude Bernard Lyon 1”, the French child protection organization “Colosse aux pieds d’argile” as well as the major European Think tank “Sport and Citizenship”."
"All participants in the ISU Junior Grand Prix competition are invited to attend the SAYES Conference."

https://www.isu.org/news/the-isu-is...ean-skaters-sayes-conference-in-budapest-hun/ )​

 

[Holy Headband]

I think IAM didn’t take it seriously. They assumed it was a “he said-she said” situation and didn’t take the time to figure out how best to report it up so didn’t bother.

Obviously not good enough.

Shameful really.

I’d say they provide a tiered service where how much respect and consideration you get from MFD and PL depends on how you place internationally and whether your federation has an accredited judge who could be folded into IAM’s power base (which… Estonia does!), not simply on basic considerations like being a paying customer or deserving a modicum of human decency just because you’re their student.

But then again, they were willing to gaslight, discomfit and alienate their golden goose Gabriella Papadakis in multiple ways over the years, most recently when she didn’t want to share the ice with a rapist and they told her to take a hike. So I think it would be more accurate to say they treat men like precious treasures and women like shit, pure and simple, and this bias is so strong it works against their female skaters even when the man threatening their female skater’s interests is not at their school.

Female skaters are seen as disposable in both ice dance and pairs. If they complain about anything, as someone else said, that just means they’re messy and too much trouble.

It’s so infuriating I would pay real money to bring about the downfall of this evil school.

 

[Coco]

Solene confided in the Estonia judge at the competition where this happened, right? If that judge decided it shouldn't be taken seriously and let MFD and PL know s/he didn't take it seriously, that would explain another motivation for their inaction.

 

[Karen-W]

Solene confided in the Estonia judge at the competition where this happened, right? If that judge decided it shouldn't be taken seriously and let MFD and PL know s/he didn't take it seriously, that would explain another motivation for their inaction.

I don't know if it was the Estonian judge or the Estonian Team Leader (or if that person was one and the same).

 

[Sylvia]

Machine translation of the pertinent sentence in the Mediapart article:

After that night, Solène confided in Emili Arm, a former Estonian athlete and now a judge, who said she had “passed the information on to the federation.”

Arm judged the ice dance event at 2023 Golden Spin.

ETA one more translated sentence:

The Estonian ice sports federation explains today that not having been contacted directly by Solène, but “by a third person” [Arm?], it “does not have a complete vision of the affair and has not contacted other sports organizations without her [Arm’s or Mazingue’s?] authorization.”

 

[Alilou]

Machine translation of the pertinent sentence in the Mediapart article:

Arm judged the ice dance event at 2023 Golden Spin.

ETA one more translated sentence:

So all the federation had to do was ask Solene. SMH

 

[Barbara Manatee]

If that judge decided it shouldn't be taken seriously and let MFD and PL know s/he didn't take it seriously, that would explain another motivation for their inaction.

It doesn't matter how credible they thought the claim was. Mandated reporters are just that - they must pass reports on to the proper authorities. It is not their job to judge or investigate a claim. The coaches would have known that.

 

[Holy Headband]

Machine translation of the pertinent sentence in the Mediapart article:

Arm judged the ice dance event at 2023 Golden Spin.

ETA one more translated sentence:

OK, this is actually helpful because it suggests Mazingue was fobbed off at the fed level and not by the judge. Now that the story has blown up to this extent, if they could shift the blame onto the judge by saying she never informed them of Mazingue's report and thus wash their hands of the whole situation, they would have done it already. Instead they're saying they didn't hear it from Mazingue herself, so they couldn't do anything, thus indirectly admitting they DID receive a report of some sort.

Bitch, she told the judge and the judge told you! Your job was to contact the athlete and ask WTF you just heard!!! The fact they didn't shows how much they cared.

 

[Sylvia]

Today, from Solène:

𝕊𝕠𝕝𝕖̀𝕟𝕖 𝕄𝕒𝕫𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕦𝕖 on Instagram: "Speaking out to denounce injustice and share one’s experience is an act of courage. But this choice also means enduring horrible messages, having one’s words questioned, and one’s pain ignored. Through this post, I wan

546 likes, 36 comments - solenemazingue_ on November 12, 2024: "Speaking out to denounce injustice and share one’s experience is an act of courage. But this choice also means enduring horrible messages, having one’s words questioned, and one’s pain ignored. Through this post, I want to highlight...

www.instagram.com

Speaking out to denounce injustice and share one’s experience is an act of courage. But this choice also means enduring horrible messages, having one’s words questioned, and one’s pain ignored. Through this post, I want to highlight this reality: speaking up also exposes one to hostility and judgment from those who would rather not listen. Yet, it is vital to continue sharing our stories because every voice raised can save, raise awareness, and offer support.

I ask everyone not to harass or attack those who express opinions, even if they are misguided. My goal is to inform and protect, not to incite conflict. Thank you for your understanding and support.

ETA: for her 2nd paragraph!

 

[cholla]

She's spared nothing. Poor girl

 

[Barbara Manatee]

Those posters who use the 'just asking questions' approach to call her a liar are despicable. How many of them are casting doubts in hopes of shielding their own abusive behavior?

 

[ChelleC]

That Solene does not want those who are attacking her to be attacked says a lot about the type of person she is.

 

[Vagabond]

She's spared nothing. Poor girl

It is heartbreaking but no different from the treatment accorded to other victims of sexual assault who do speak up. And those who do not speak up often choose to remain silent because they surmise that they will be treated the same way.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

It is heartbreaking but no different from the treatment accorded to other victims of sexual assault who do speak up. And those who do not speak up often choose to remain silent because they surmise that they will be treated the same way.

And then people ask why they didn’t speak up sooner.