Leandro Tulia, the former coach of Argentine Olympic sailor Eugenia Bosco, has been arrested in Buenos Aires after Bosco and other women accused him of sexual abuse during their early years. In January, Bosco spoke up during an interview with national newspaper La Nación. This triggered other women to come forward alleging similar abuses by Tulia between 2010 and 2013. Apparently, at least six women have formally contacted the court to give evidence, and there are other alleged victims who have not yet made their complaint public.
However, Bosco, 27, who won Olympic silver in the Nacra 17 class at the Paris 2024 Games, originally revealed her story last October, just a couple months after her historic Olympic achievement. She filed the formal complaint in October 2024; It was January when her claims were made public.
Once Bosco spoke out, other complainants also made claims against the veteran coach Leandro Tulia who now faces legal proceedings as authorities investigate, and the entire international sailing community has seemingly been rocked.
Bosco claims that the abuse occurred during her early years at the Yacht Club Olivos (YCO), where Tulia had spent over two decades coaching young athletes and representing Argentina in international competitions.
Travelling alone or accompanied by her brother from her hometown of San Pedro (a two-hour drive), Bosco recalled that it was at this age that she began competing in sailing championships and staying overnight at YCO with other teenagers under the supervision of Tulia.
Bosco expressed: “That was when I started travelling to Buenos Aires. It is an age when you start to qualify for championships, to travel alone, to have a group where you mix a lot. We were a big group staying in the same place, all under the care of this person…
It was a small world. At the end of the day, when you're a kid, it's very fun because you're with your friends, you're in an environment that you think you're in control of, let's say, because you're in a club, you feel looked after and, above all, your parents trust you and give you the confidence to stay overnight. Things happen in a small circle that we may not have controlled, and that person has controlled very well. And then, as the years go by and you get older, you see it.”
The athletes claim that Tulia manipulated them into doing him “favours,” including touching or massages, under threat or in exchange for privileges - such as using his phone or computer to play or getting the best boat to train on.
Bosco stated that she was constantly subjected to sexual comments and claimed that she was the victim of sexual abuse in Tulia's bedroom in the summer when she was 12 years old.
Bosco expressed: “I don’t even know how to explain it. It happened. I had no control over it. I was 11 or 12, and I buried it until a few years ago when I was finally able to confront it.”
Bosco also detailed the profound guilt and shame she bore for years: “I went through a thousand phases of shame, denial, and self-blame. For so long, I thought it was my fault. But then I laid it all out and said: ‘I was just a child. I had no control over that situation.’”
She also said: “I was 11 or 12 years old, and I pushed him out of my life until a few years ago when I was able to see him, obviously working and with people accompanying me. I was able to bring him back into my mind and another process started. I knew there was something inside me, I didn't know where it came from, but I knew there was something. And when that came, I started to understand a lot of things.”
At least six other women, also minors at the time of the alleged events from 2010 to 2013, filed complaints after the interview was published, prosecutor Lida Osores Soler told AFP in January.
She confirmed that Tulia was arrested after refusing to testify in his preliminary hearing. The Yacht Club Olivos has remained neutral, stating it will await the legal outcome before making an official statement. The club stated that they “do not take sides” and that they believe “everyone is innocent until proven guilty.” However, in the wake of Bosco’s allegations, the club immediately suspended Tulia from his duties, placing him on indefinite leave.
It was also reported that Tulia has denied the allegations through his lawyer, who said the events took place more than 15 years ago, which could make it difficult to gather evidence.
This case has highlighted how the courage of one victim to speak out can trigger other victims of abuse to do the same.
Bosco’s revelation came when she watched the documentary Athlete A, about cases of abuse in American gymnastics. She expressed: “I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and I cried. The memory was unlocked, and I thought: 'This happened to me.’”
In Argentina, the prosecution of crimes of sexual abuse can only be pursued through a private action (complaint by the victim), which is why it cannot be extended ex officio to other possible or alleged victims if they do not file a complaint. This is why Bosco’s courage was particularly crucial in this circumstance.
Bosco also wants to make it clear that: “For children, for parents, for coaches, for people who work with children or women. You have to empathise with the other person and think about what you are saying, because maybe a compliment or a comment will trigger something in the other person.”
