The gymnastics abuse complaint process will be replaced after criticism from victims

One former gymnast who spoke to the BBC, who won a five-figure salary after developing an eating disorder because of the “culture in the sport”, said British Gymnastics’ approach to abuse victims was a “complete failure”.

Laura – not her real name – said she was bullied and humiliated by coaches for a year, weighed twice a day and pressured to lose weight when she was just 12.

The 19-year-old subsequently developed anorexia, bulimia and depression – which she and her family strongly blame on her treatment by her gymnastics coaches – and missed nearly five months of school.

In October 2023, Laura’s case was heard and the ICP panel issued a warning to the head coach of Laura’s former club, due to their “serious concerns” about the way gymnasts were weighed at the club.

However, despite winning a payout from British Gymnastics, some complaints about her treatment were not upheld.

“I think the ICP process has failed me and many other gymnasts,” says Laura. “Although the damages I received through the civil suit proved that there was wrongdoing, all I wanted was for my coaches to accept accountability and admit that their words and actions caused my illness.”

Law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp, who represented Laura, said there were more than 40 ongoing claims against British Gymnastics. Laura’s mother added: “The whole thing was a shambles. Ultimately, it’s all about the children – children who have suffered eating disorders or self-harm because of this culture in sport.”

The BBC mainly covered Nicole Pavier’s story In 2020.

The now 30-year-old says she was weighed every day of her gymnastics career and developed a severe eating disorder as a result. After years of waiting, the pediatric nurse went through the ICP process last year.

“It was terrifying,” she said. “I wasn’t allowed to corroborate anyone in the room and I wasn’t allowed to give witness statements to support my story. I felt blindsided.

“The panel is not designed for gymnasts to achieve a positive result, yet there is a heavy blame on the children and parents.”

In Nicole’s case the panel partially upheld two allegations about her coach, but ultimately did not find the coach a current safety risk. This means that British Gymnastics cannot name their banned or suspended coaches on a public list.

Survivor-led charity Gymnasts for Change is calling for more transparency in the process. “We found procedural inefficiencies and failures in every case we dealt with,” it said.

Christopher Quinlan Casey, who oversaw the ICP’s case management stage, said they upheld a number of gymnastics complaints and imposed “appropriate sanctions on coaches”.

“Where I… felt there was a case to answer and the allegations were serious, we referred such allegations to the panel.

“I did not supervise those panels and had no involvement in their procedures or the decisions they reached. Nevertheless, I did my best to address the gymnasts’ concerns at that stage of the ICP and to understand why those panels were not upholding their complaints.”