Keeping Track of Criminal Cases & SafeSport Suspensions in Skating

[skateblessing]

I feel for both the victims and hope both can get some justice. It´s sad it has taken so long, but hopefully now Gracie and the other victim can finally get some sort of peace and focus on the healing process. With nothing happening with the case for so long it must have been difficult to move on and not knowing if he would get a punishment. I really hope there will be consequences is Australia as well and not just in the US.

From the description in Gracies book i´m seriously worried how many more have experiences this and I want him gone from coaching and situation where he can take advantage of vulnerable people.
All though not invited to a party after the incident, he turned up uninvited and tried to force himself on her again in the laundry room, but she was able to escape before it got that far. Gracie described that all though she rejected him at that party, he kept circling her afterwards to the point that other was starting to notice and feel uncomfortable, and more people asked him to stop and have to tell him to leave eventually because of his behavior. And then he turned up uninvited to a lunch the day after, and was asked to leave again. Apparently he had also been making a bet with another male skater who would be able to lay down most National Champions. This is so gross and tells you about an overall disturbing behavior that is repeating itself.

That he now tries to play the innocent card doesn´t surprise me, several times he crossed the line and doesn´t reflect upon it or change behavior, which is disturbing, given that people have made him aware of this as well. I think it´s even a chance that in his mind he didn´t do anything wrong or cross the line, all though obviously he did. If he had admitted it and said he was sorry it would have been more reassuring that this is not going to happen again, but the whole picture of him and the situation gives me the biggest concern around the safety for other skaters.

 

[can'tsk8]

It would be helpful if you could provide context or a link - from October 2018 by the Australian Associated Press: https://www.watoday.com.au/national...ld-exploitation-material-20181026-p50ca5.html

Thank you

 

[Aussie Willy]

Given that Brendan's parents are involved in skating officially, I find it hard to believe that he wouldn't tell them about this. This is not a case of a young person not wanting their parents to know they are in trouble. They are all in business together, so to speak, and this situation impacts all of them plus the parents are in a position to give him good advice.

Again we all need to be careful about the assumptions should not be jumping to conclusions. I have seen on a Reddit thread comments bordering on defamation about the family. Which are whilst personal opinions, it wouldn't be that difficult to track and identify who the people writing that stuff because it verges on libel.

Personally I know everyone involved in this situation due to my role in skating in Australia and I probably know more than anyone else about what is going on here. So reading some of the comments is concerning.

This came as a surprise to me and I know that it came as a surprise to many others, including members of the ISA Board. Having been speaking to people in our sport this weekend, there are a range of perceptions and opinions. I can tell you now if they hadn't heard about it before they all know about it now. But at the heart of it is people want to see correct processes followed. They are taking it very seriously.

At this stage those involved, including Brendan's family, have been stood down from their positions in the sport. At the ISA AGM next weekend, this will probably be a hot topic and we will learn more.

 

[Willin]

I would add to this - blaming Brendan's parents is further excusing his actions and him getting away with them. His parents currently aren't in a position to defend him, and given that his mother stepped down almost immediately she either recognizes that she can't defend him or simply doesn't want to defend him.

From what we know, everything that happened happened in the US after Brendan himself was of age and out of the nest. I don't know about other posters here, but no adult I know tells their parents "Hey! I just had sex!" even in an appropriate situation. They certainly wouldn't call their parents "Hey! I just possibly maybe sexually assaulted someone!" Who knows if he even told them about the investigation - with how long it took and how he's defending himself, he probably didn't see it as a big ideal. Certainly being a 16 hour flight away, his parents aren't going to be keeping close enough tabs on him to know on their own. I'd fully believe they didn't know what happened - or at least didn't know the extent of it.

And yet people are trying to say that his parents are not only defending him but are also in some way standing by their son. They're being accused of knowing what happened. And quite frankly we have no reason to believe any of that is true.

 

[Sylvia]

The Australian (paywalled article): ‘Making sure my son survives’: mum stands by Kerry after life ban
"Monica MacDonald's maternal instincts kicked in the moment she heard her son was in trouble.
Former Olympic figure skater Brendan Kerry has been banned for life in the US over alleged sexual misconduct of a minor, yet his mother is standing by him as they fight to prove he is innocent. SUBSCRIBE for full story"

 

[kwanfan1818]

I think the question is more whether or not he would have told his parents that he was in trouble, which he was if he was the subject of a SafeSport investigation, guilty or not. He might not have confided in them/asked for advice or support, and he may very well have thought that since he wasn't contacted for three years about it that nothing would come of it after all. However, three years in SafeSport time is a very short time.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

The Australian (paywalled article): ‘Making sure my son survives’: mum stands by Kerry after life ban
"Monica MacDonald's maternal instincts kicked in the moment she heard her son was in trouble.
Former Olympic figure skater Brendan Kerry has been banned for life in the US over alleged sexual misconduct of a minor, yet his mother is standing by him as they fight to prove he is innocent. SUBSCRIBE for full story"

This link should let you read it for free

PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions

Digital newsstand featuring 7000+ of the world’s most popular newspapers & magazines. Enjoy unlimited reading on up to 5 devices with 7-day free trial.

www.pressreader.com

 

[sus2850]

This is not really The Australian, is it? It sounds like a tabloid, in taking sides.

 

[Bunny Hop]

This is not really The Australian, is it? It sounds like a tabloid, in taking sides.

The Australian is owned by News Corp.

 

[Orm Irian]

This is not really The Australian, is it? It sounds like a tabloid, in taking sides.

The Australian is a tabloid dressed up in broadsheet clothes. Murdoch gutter press.

 

[Wyliefan]

So now there are two 17 year olds? Or did they get Gracie's age wrong?

 

[skategal]

So Safesport doesn’t inform the other country’s skating organization that they are investigating one of their skaters? If not, why not?

I’m trying to remember what happened with Skate Canada and Sorensen and who told Skate Canada. Was it Sorensen? Was it Brennan?

Was Kerry supposed to tell ISA and didn’t?

So many questions…

 

[Vagabond]

So Safesport doesn’t inform the other country’s skating organization that they are investigating one of their skaters? If not, why not?

Why should they?

There is nothing stopping the complainant from informing the other country's federation.

 

[once_upon]

Why isn't the ban known when someone who has been earning his/her salary through coaching in another country?

If I was a skater or parent of a skater, I would investigate why my coach is no longer coaching.

If I was my country's home for skater x who has been coaching elsewhere, and suddenly gives up his/her coaching job I might investigate why

 

[Wyliefan]

The ban is known. Apparently the investigation preceding the ban wasn't known.

 

[skategal]

Why should they?

There is nothing stopping the complainant from informing the other country's federation.

I was thinking from a safety of other athletes point of view but you bring up a good point about complainants informing the other organization.

This is what happened with Sorensen. His complainant put in a complaint with the Canadian governing body for sport ( I forget the name even though I’m Canadian haha) and they probably informed Skate Canada.

 

[kwanfan1818]

So now there are two 17 year olds? Or did they get Gracie's age wrong?

21. She wrote, “How I wish I could warn that beaming twenty-one-year-old that not every person has her best interests at heart. Because shortly after the camera lens captured that photograph, my virginity was forcibly taken.”

 

[Wyliefan]

I know. But the article mentions two 17 year olds. So either they got Gracie's age wrong or there were two minors.

 

[Sylvia]

I know. But the article mentions two 17 year olds. So either they got Gracie's age wrong or there were two minors.

Considering the tabloid-ish source, I assume The Australian got Gracie’s age wrong.

Thank you @LeafOnTheWind for your link to read it and to @Bunny Hop & @Orm Irian for the info on this publication.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Either she’s mistaken that she’s the second person in the complaint, and there’s a second 17-year-old, or, they were mistaken about her age.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

I will say, I'm glad Brendan has been banned by safesport. It's deeply frustrating that Gracie's complaint would not have been enough for consequences to him. People wonder why rape is underreported.

 

[MacMadame]

And yet people are trying to say that his parents are not only defending him but are also in some way standing by their son. They're being accused of knowing what happened. And quite frankly we have no reason to believe any of that is true.

The Australian (paywalled article): ‘Making sure my son survives’: mum stands by Kerry after life ban
"Monica MacDonald's maternal instincts kicked in the moment she heard her son was in trouble.

Um.

Though I hadn't actually seen anyone say that his parents were defending him (could be someone I have on ignore though) just that some of us think that when Kerry knew he was under investigation, it would be normal to tell his parents especially to get advice given their positions in the Australian skating federation. This is not an outrageous thing to believe.

 

[Sylvia]

The Australian (paywalled article): ‘Making sure my son survives’: mum stands by Kerry after life ban
"Monica MacDonald's maternal instincts kicked in the moment she heard her son was in trouble.
Former Olympic figure skater Brendan Kerry has been banned for life in the US over alleged sexual misconduct of a minor, yet his mother is standing by him as they fight to prove he is innocent. SUBSCRIBE for full story"

Julian Linden's article can be read for free in its entirety here (more than what I saw using the PressReader link): https://www.watoday.com.au/sport/ol...eps-down-from-coach-role-20240516-p5je32.html
(this May 16th WAtoday article by Carla Jaeger was not the link I intended to post but does include some new info)

Edited/Take 2 - I was able to read Julian Linden's article for free in its entirety (more than what I saw using the PressReader link) but maybe it was just a one time thing? NEW link to try: https://www.couriermail.com.au/spor...n/news-story/84be0724596805cca723c50a8efcc702
Excerpts:

After breaking the news to his mother, Kerry packed his bags, collected his two dogs, and drove to his parent’s home, where he’s now living.
He stood down from his job coaching kids at the Macquarie Ice Rink and resigned from the board of NSW Skating.
MacDonald called the Australian Professional Skaters Association and told them she was quitting as president, not because of any perceived conflicts of interests, but because her priority was to her son.
“It’s devastating to him. It’s devastating to our family,” she said.
“I really don’t give a shit what people want to say, what people want to think. It’s more about making sure my son survives through this.”

MacDonald, who also skated for Australia at the Olympics, said she had been heartened by the messages of support she had received from all around the world but knows the fight to try and clear her son’s name is only just beginning.
“Our absolute priority at this time is looking after Brendan, looking after his safety, making sure we keep his mental well-being in the right place,” she said.
“We have no idea how long it’s going to last. Our focus has to be on him 100 per cent. So that’s where he’s at and we’re here with him to support him.
“In that moment as a mother, part of you just collapses inside.
“When you see your son just devastated and confused and saying ‘I don’t know what’s going on’ so we’re dealing with all of those emotions.
“And in the midst of feeling all those sorts of things, you have to find a strength that is going to make him feel safe and pull him through.
“It doesn’t matter how close I am to breaking, I have to stand in front of my son and let him feel he’s safe.
“If Brendan and I were allowed a voice, we would have a lot more to say, but we’re not. I don’t want anybody to think that us saying we can’t say anything or having to stay silent is anything but a sign of us continuing to completely respect the procedures that have been placed on us.
“It’s an awful process.”

Besides the "two young women, who were 17 at the time" error, a photo caption mistakenly identifies John Dunn as "John Kerry" and the year of Coughlin's death was 2019, not 2018.

 

[Vagabond]

Julian Linden's article can be read for free in its entirety here (more than what I saw using the PressReader link):

Olympian denies sexual misconduct, steps down from coach role

Brendan Kerry has stood down from his coaching position in Sydney as Australian skating authorities investigate the events that led the US Centre for SafeSport to impose a lifetime ban for sexual misconduct involving a minor.

www.watoday.com.au

This is a link to an article by Carla Jaeger, who reports that she wasn't able to contact MacDonald and was unable to contact Kerry directly.

Snippet:

”After hearing nothing from the US Centre for SafeSport for almost three years … I received their decision with no advance warning whatsoever, sanctioning me for alleged violations that I did not commit,” Kerry said in a statement released to the ABC.

“That decision is not final and I intend to challenge this suspension and request arbitration before a neutral arbitrator as is my right.”

Quite a lot of judicial and quasi-judicial decisions come with no advance warning, so what happened here is par for the course.

 

[Sylvia]

This is a link to an article by Carla Jaeger, who reports that she wasn't able to contact MacDonald and was unable to contact Kerry directly.

I initially posted that WAtoday link in error and have gone back and edited in the correct link ... which now is paywalled. But I was able to copy out those 2 excerpts during my first and only viewing.

ETA - does this alternate link to Julian Linden's article work? https://www.couriermail.com.au/spor...n/news-story/84be0724596805cca723c50a8efcc702

 

[Theatregirl1122]

What, precisely, is preventing her and Brendan from “having a voice”?

 

[MacMadame]

What, precisely, is preventing her and Brendan from “having a voice”?

I would say it's advice from their lawyer.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I will say, I'm glad Brendan has been banned by safesport. It's deeply frustrating that Gracie's complaint would not have been enough for consequences to him. People wonder why rape is underreported.

She wasn't a minor in the sport at the time of the incident which is what Safe Sport and the National Integrity Framework would be dealing with. It would then be a criminal case that would be dealt with by the police. And unfortunately so many sexual assault cases become "he said she said" and are difficult to prove.

Look how much it took to get Weinstein and Epstein convicted, regardless of how many women came forward. And you have someone running for US president who regardless of having a finding against him of rape against him is still a front runner.

#Metoo has been incredibly important in helping getting sexual assault taken seriously but there are still too many issues regarding the application and perception in society generally which is why women don't come forward. I still hear even women say "well why did she get herself into that situation" when it comes to the victim.

 

[Alilou]

Given that Brendan's parents are involved in skating officially, I find it hard to believe that he wouldn't tell them about this. This is not a case of a young person not wanting their parents to know they are in trouble. They are all in business together, so to speak, and this situation impacts all of them plus the parents are in a position to give him good advice.

I initially posted that WAtoday link in error and have gone back and edited in the correct link ... which now is paywalled. But I was able to copy out those 2 excerpts during my first and only viewing.

ETA - does this alternate link to Julian Linden's article work? https://www.couriermail.com.au/spor...n/news-story/84be0724596805cca723c50a8efcc702

sadly no but thanks for trying @Sylvia

 

[Barbara Manatee]

“Our absolute priority at this time is looking after Brendan, looking after his safety, making sure we keep his mental well-being in the right place,” she said.
“We have no idea how long it’s going to last. Our focus has to be on him 100 per cent. So that’s where he’s at and we’re here with him to support him.
“In that moment as a mother, part of you just collapses inside.
“When you see your son just devastated and confused and saying ‘I don’t know what’s going on’ so we’re dealing with all of those emotions.
“And in the midst of feeling all those sorts of things, you have to find a strength that is going to make him feel safe and pull him through.
“It doesn’t matter how close I am to breaking, I have to stand in front of my son and let him feel he’s safe.
“If Brendan and I were allowed a voice, we would have a lot more to say, but we’re not. I don’t want anybody to think that us saying we can’t say anything or having to stay silent is anything but a sign of us continuing to completely respect the procedures that have been placed on us.
“It’s an awful process.”

How heroic a parent you are, ma'am. Surely someone with such strength of character could spare a few empathetic words for what the teen-age rape victim and her mother have gone through? Or are they among the people you don't give a shit about?