Sports confronted by nightmare revelations of sexual abuse have dramatically improved their safeguarding cultures, but a whiff of the bad old days has sullied the latest response to historic abuse in tennis.
Martin Corrie, president of the Lawn Tennis Association, resigned last month following an investigation into his failures to properly handle a complaint made 15 years ago by a woman who as a young player suffered abuse by her male coach in the 1990s. The LTA announced in a statement that disciplinary proceedings against Corrie had been discontinued, as he had stepped down, acknowledged he had been at fault and issued an apology. But at the same time the LTA voted in favour of Corrie for prestigious re‑election to the board of the International Tennis Federation.
The victim, who has spoken to the Guardian while not wanting her name to be made public, was actually satisfied with the outcome of the process and the resignation of Corrie – although he has still not apologised to her in person – and two other unnamed senior administrators. But she feels strongly that it and the improvements at the LTA, under the head of safeguarding, Dave Humphrey, have been undermined by the simultaneous elevation of Corrie to the ITF, and an overall lack of transparency about this disciplinary process.
“I welcome the news that those involved with my 2004 complaint who were still under LTA jurisdiction have resigned, and failings were admitted on behalf of Hertfordshire LTA and the LTA nationally,” she said. “And I’m encouraged by and support the steps Dave Humphrey is taking to overhaul safeguarding procedures and training within the LTA. I am assured that procedures are being put in place to ensure that what happened in my case could not happen again.
“However I am disappointed that at the end of the process, and with limited information released by the LTA, I still have unanswered questions about who knew and did what at different times. I also feel that this has been a missed opportunity for the LTA to give a very clear message to the wider world and other victims of abuse about its improved commitment to safeguarding. The LTA’s decision to approve the nomination of Martin Corrie for the ITF board, on the same day his resignation was announced, also seems to confuse that issue and somewhat undermines the very positive outcome of the process.”
She came forward to complain about how Corrie and others had handled her case in 2004, after she read 13 years later about a coach’s sustained sexual abuse of a young female player at the elite tennis centre in Wrexham, and the LTA safeguarding failures that had enabled it to continue.
She recalled that when she first made known the abuse she had suffered at Hertfordshire LTA, she was given no support, and felt that the tennis hierarchies closed ranks against her before the coach was sanctioned in 2005 and had his licence to work with children revoked.
With Humphrey, a former Metropolitan police detective chief inspector, in place the LTA set up an independent investigation and in March last year Corrie stepped down from the presidency pending its outcome.
No more was said publicly about the investigation until 26 September, when the LTA issued a short summary. It stated that the investigation had in fact led to charges of misconduct against Corrie, and the two other administrators, for failing to “act appropriately in relation to the handling of the [original] allegations, including not doing enough to support the victim”. The three “robustly denied any misconduct”, the summary said. In March this year they had agreed to a formal hearing of the charges by an independent disciplinary panel, to be constituted by the respected Sports Resolutions organisation.
Before the panel sat, however, Corrie and the other two administrators resigned, undertook additional safeguarding training, and told the panel they recognised “matters should have been handled differently”. Then Corrie, via his legal representatives, proposed to the panel that the disciplinary proceedings be discontinued, to which the panel agreed because it considered the outcome “proportionate and appropriate.”
The LTA chief executive, Scott Lloyd, apologised in a statement for the failings established by the investigation, and stressed that the organisation’s safeguarding improvements have been recognised as excellent by the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit. Corrie himself acknowledged in the statement that when handling the 2004 complaint “communication between Hertfordshire LTA and the LTA was not good enough”. He said: “Matters should have been handled differently both in respect of the way in which the allegations were handled and in the support offered to the victim by the Hertfordshire LTA and I sincerely apologise for my part in this.”
He announced he was stepping down as president and from the LTA board because: “I do not wish anything to distract from the important role the LTA has in promoting and embedding best practice in the management and safeguarding of tennis.”
Neither the LTA nor Corrie made it clear in the statement that he was at the same time being supported by the LTA for re-election to the ITF board.
The LTA explained that by saying: “Martin was nominated as a candidate earlier this year, because we did not wish to prejudge the independent disciplinary process. Once this came to a conclusion, and with the independent panel advising there was nothing to preclude future roles in tennis, the LTA board considered that it should vote for his re-election to the board position he had held for four years.”
The victim in the case is, despite this spectacle, determined to emphasise the positive outcome from her coming forward in 2017: “At the time I came forward with my original complaint I was met with resistance, the matter was not handled properly by Hertfordshire LTA or the LTA, and I was not given support which caused enormous damage to me, professionally and personally.
“This case is significant because it concerns those in positions of authority who had a duty of care. I still hope that it will serve as a landmark for similar cases involving people with such responsibilities, who must be held accountable for ensuring the safety of children and vulnerable adults in sport.”
