Italy’s Gymnastics Federation (FGI) has fired its Olympic female rhythmic gymnastics coach, 58-year-old Emanuela Maccarani, as she is under investigation due to allegations of abuse. According to Reuters, she allegedly victimised young gymnasts over their weight and eating habits.
The FGI did not explicitly mention these allegations in its statement by new president of the federation, Andrea Facci:
However, we know that the investigative judge at the Court of Monza ordered a charge against Maccarani over abuse allegations by two former gymnasts, Anna Basta and Nina Corradini. In 2022, they both accused Maccarani of psychological abuse when she was their coach.
Maccarani allegedly forced the gymnasts, who were both under 18 at the time, to weigh themselves in front of teammates, and coaching staff allegedly insulted the athletes if they appeared overweight.
According to Italian media (Il Messaggero), after a series of evaluations, the investigating judge of the Monza Court, Angela Colella, deemed the evidence against Maccarani sufficient to support the accusations of mistreatment of the athletes.
“We are very satisfied, the accusatory framework is solid: the harassment and incorrect, intimidating, and offensive behaviours towards these young girls cannot be justified by the medals won. Nothing justifies it, as they tried to argue from above in the Federation. The criminal relevance of such behaviours, as also reported by the investigating judge, cannot depend on the different reactions of those who suffer them,” reveals lawyer Giovanni Battista Frisoli, legal representative of Anna Basta.
Additionally, Olga Tishina, Maccarani’s assistant, was also accused of wrongdoing. However, as reported by ANSA, the investigating judge of the Court of Monza accepted the request for dismissal made by the Office of the Prosecutor in relation to the position of Tishina and on the other hand, ordered the formulation of the indictment for mistreatment for Maccarani. Though, the prosecutor's office had previously asked for the case to be dismissed from the accusations for both.
Furthermore, when this case was investigated previously, Maccarani just received a warning. However, evidence collected by wiretap showed that the investigation-leading sports prosecutor, Michele Rossetti, made derogatory comments about the gymnasts who made the accusations. Rossetti was removed due to violation of duties and negligence.
After these events, Basta and Corradini highlighted how they had been treated unfairly due to the prosecutor’s bias, and the Italian Olympic Committee ordered a completely new investigation, appointing two independent investigators. This means that Maccarani will go to preliminary trial.
Maccarani has denied the allegations and said the situation is “devastating.”
Maccarani’s official statement, according to Sky Sport, is as follows:
“We were training with some of the Butterflies, I saw them cry when they learned of the decision. They are very angry, incredulous. I had a video call with Agnese Duranti and they all wrote to me. Everyone is quite in shock…
I learned the news from social media. I had left the gym in Desio to eat and when I returned I noticed the dismissal letter in the post office. From tomorrow morning I am relieved of my assignment despite the fact that in the contract I must have a month's notice, but they told me that given the delicacy of the situation I will not be able to be in Desio tomorrow. I accept all this, but I find the wrong times and ways after 39 years of activity. My technical direction was aimed at the high level and basic work, it was well set up. All this is unexpected. For this reason I think that all this had already been decided, I accept but extremely sorry.”
Daniela Simonetti, president of the ChangeTheGame, an Italian body that defends victims of sexual, physical and emotional abuse in sport, said Maccarani's departure was “a turning point that opens a new page in the interests of young gymnasts.”
However, some athletes and their parents have sided with Maccarani: “We find ourselves after three years in an even more destabilising and detrimental situation for us female athletes and for the sports programming of the team,” expressed Martina Centofanti, a star of the rhythmic gymnastics team.
