Minister Condemns Sexual Harassment In Indonesian Sports

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Jakarta (ANTARA) - Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir said the alleged sexual harassment of athletes in sport climbing and kickboxing reflects serious misconduct that should not occur in sports.

"These athletes have made sacrifices, not only through school, training, and leaving their parents, but they are being treated cruelly, and this is a heinous act," he told reporters in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Since receiving the report from the Indonesian Sport Climbing Federation (FPTI), his office has adhered to the principle of the presumption of innocence, even though the federation has already imposed internal sanctions on the alleged perpetrators.

Thohir said the government is pushing for legal proceedings in cases of alleged sexual harassment, both in sport climbing and, most recently, in kickboxing, to ensure certainty and justice for all parties.

The minister called for measures to ensure such cases do not recur in Indonesian sports, urging all sports federations to jointly strengthen athlete protection systems, including the Safeguarding Program implemented by the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI).

"As the government, we certainly support all forms of athlete protection efforts," the minister emphasized.

He further praised the athletes who came forward with allegations of sexual harassment and physical abuse, describing their actions as part of a necessary process of reflection and improvement in the coaching systems of the federations.

"This means that improvements to the national training system and the training process in each sport must be completely free from acts of sexual harassment and violence," Thohir remarked.

He then added that such cases have likely been occurring for a long time but are often covered up or ignored to protect the reputation of the federation.

Therefore, he appreciated the steps taken by FPTI Chair Yenny Wahid, who openly reported the case to him.

"We must ensure that the athlete development system runs clean and clear," he concluded.

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