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Maddie Groves Says She Was Molested By Someone Still Working In Swimming

Australian Olympic medalist Maddie Groves, who made headlines after withdrawing from the 2021 Aussie Olympic Trials due to the “misogynistic perverts” in the sport back in June, has now come forward and said she was sexually abused as a teenager by a man still involved in swimming.

Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation‘s (ABC) 7.30, Groves revealed that she was sexually abused over a five-year period, from the age of 13 to 18, by an adult male who she has not identified.

“When I was underage, on multiple occasions I was actually molested by an adult male,” Groves told ABC. “At the time I didn’t feel like there was anyone I could tell about that. And there’s no one in swimming that I would trust disclosing that to now, either.”

Groves, now 26, says she decided to do an interview with ABC after seeing the work the network did in uncovering the alleged sexual abuse done by former Australian coach John Wright, who is now in custody and facing nine charges of indecent dealing with a child and one count of common assault.

“I think seeing the report on the John Wright case, there’s this attitude that that type of thing is a historical issue and it doesn’t happen anymore and that times have changed,” Groves said. “But I don’t think that’s necessarily true.”

In June, Groves’ fired off this Tweet when she announced she wasn’t going to compete at the Olympic Trials, telling “all misogynistic perverts in sport and their boot lickers” that they can “no longer exploit young women and girls, body shame or medically gaslight them and then expect them to represent you so you can earn your annual bonus. Time’s UP.”

An independent panel was subsequently set up by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) through the Australian Institute of Sport, and Swimming Australia, with the purpose of investigating issues related to women and girls’ experience and advancement in the sport of swimming.

Groves says that she hasn’t identified the individual, and doesn’t want to report it to the police, because of both negative experiences in making complaints about others in the past and knowing that an investigation could be a long, emotionally draining process that still doesn’t get the desired outcome.

“I haven’t made a complaint about this individual,” she said. “I guess my experience from trying to make complaints about other people in sport was so discouraging, it really didn’t leave me feeling that making a complaint about this person would be any different to the others.

“I don’t think I really want to report it to the police. It’s obviously a huge process emotionally and it takes such a long time … and then it doesn’t necessarily end up working out that well.

“I’ve had a couple of other friends and people that I know in swimming that have been sexually abused and assaulted and they’ve been through that process. “It ends up being really disappointing … and things don’t really seem to change. It’s sort of swept under the rug.

“And I think if I made a complaint, I don’t really think anything would be any different to that.

“It’s an uncomfortable thing to have to talk about and deal with, but it’s not my fault, and I just hope that by speaking about this stuff that it is taken seriously and that there are protections put in place.”

Groves also elaborated on her “misogynistic pervert” tweet, saying it was the culmination of years of frustration and disappointment with how these types of issues were handled since she began swimming at the age of 12.

“Deciding not to compete at Olympic trials was a culmination of those feelings, and really, in a way, like a cry for help that hopefully someone would listen and maybe do something about this huge issue in Australian sport,” she said.

“I tried to sort of work with the organization in good faith that they were trying to do the right thing and maybe trying to help me, and they disappointed me repeatedly.”

In addition to the man she is accusing of having sexually abused her for five years, Groves also alleges that she was “manhandled” by coach Michael Palfrey, who coached her from the age of 12 to 15.

“The manhandling was a very common practice at my swimming club growing up,” she said. “It just was this thing that happened by the coach where it seems like when they got very excited, they would just grab you, grab your shoulder, grab your neck, grab your arms and sort of like, slap you and shake you in a way that was sort of done as like, a playful thing.

“But when you’re in your togs and you’re an underage girl and you have an adult male grabbing at your body and sort of slapping you … it really breaks down the barriers and boundaries of what inappropriate conduct is.”

Swimming Australia reportedly told the ABC it was unaware of Groves’ complaints against Palfrey, and the matter is now being investigated by the independent complaints body, Sport Integrity Australia.

Groves won two Olympic silver medals at the 2016 Games in the women’s 200 butterfly and 400 medley relay, and is also a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist, and owns one Long Course World Championship medal (bronze) from the women’s 400 medley relay in 2015.

After dropping out of the Trials for the Tokyo Games, the Brisbane native was back in the water competing in Season 3 of the International Swimming League (ISL) in the fall, racing for the DC Trident in four regular season matches before also taking on all four stops of the FINA World Cup.

Groves says she decided to speak up to push for a cultural change in the sport, specifically in Australia.

“It just really seems like there is a vicious cycle of using and abusing female athletes until they’re burnt out and broken,” she said.

“I feel like if I didn’t speak out, if there’s not a proper investigation into the culture of this sport in Australia, that cycle is just going to continue forever.”

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dlswim
2 years ago

IMO Groves should name names for two reasons: 1) there’s not a lot anyone can do to remedy the situation if the names of the perps are not known, and 2) there’s a moral responsibility to prevent future victimizations. I’m not minimizing the trauma on Groves, but complaining so publicly about this without knowing who is involved creates chaos without leading to a resolution of the problem. Maybe someone else will step forward to figure this out.

Verram
2 years ago

Not sure what swimming Australia can do if she refuses to make a complaint or name names …

Anonymous
Reply to  Verram
2 years ago

Swimming Australia knows who her coaches have been

Verram
Reply to  Anonymous
2 years ago

Sure but you can’t just assume they’re all guilty and ruin their reputation

anonymous
Reply to  Verram
2 years ago

How many coaches do you think she had between 13 and 18?

ADS
2 years ago

She’s playing with the mind of the coach in question… Good on her! Could she do more, no doubt, but she has explained her reasons for not taking it further.

One thought though, she is also leaving herself open to defamation proceedings by coaches who she trained with who weren’t involved in the abuse. Or maybe she has already done enough to identify the person by giving the date range and she is inviting him to sue.

50free
2 years ago

All she says is that she wants something to be done but what is that thing? Make sexual assault disgusting? It is. Charge the person that abused her? Won’t give his name. What exactly does she want swimming Australia to do? Investigate every single coach for possible abuse as a review of the “culture”.

Anonymous
Reply to  50free
2 years ago

She is not giving name publicly but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t given name to investigators. Not only that swimming Australia would obviously know who her coaches have been. She is asking them to take action on complaints she has already made and they have not done anything.

Minbus
2 years ago

I’m wondering were ASCTA is on all this? They are a major stakeholder in coaches appointments and accreditation to gain access to swimmers on teams and meets. What do they know……

Off the Blocks
Reply to  Minbus
2 years ago

Ascta now have minimal involvement. Swimming Australia run the education courses, and provide the accreditations. Ascta look after the licenses. This is a Swimming Australia & State Swimming issue. Ascta may be called upon to provide assistance to the coach, but do not undertake the investigations.

The condors were robbed
2 years ago

Ah shid here we go again

Old Retired Guy
Reply to  The condors were robbed
2 years ago

Exactly. MUST. NAME. NAMES. That is all.

10U Dad
2 years ago

As a SwimDad of 2 young kids, there’s part of me that wants her to say a name because that individual is most likely still harming children now. However I also understand the reasons for her mistrust because so many coaches cover and lie for each other, even on separate teams. One of my kids was physically assaulted by his (former!) coach at a swim meet in February of last year and I still don’t know who I could have told. My swimmer went to ask the coach a simple question and she grabbed him by the collar of his parka and shook him so hard that his neck hurt for several days. We were on a big team and… Read more »

Roll ‘Saders
Reply to  10U Dad
2 years ago

Big difference between sexual assault and shaking a kid by grabbing their parka. And calling the police for that? Grow a pair.

Last edited 2 years ago by Roll ‘Saders
jeff
Reply to  Roll ‘Saders
2 years ago

yes big difference between sexual assault and normal assault but that doesn’t mean you can’t report both of them

Corn Pop
Reply to  jeff
2 years ago

So she had had 6 months since her Diplomatic Boycott of Olympic Trials .

Unless she does there are Defamation laws & no amount of poor poor me will help her .

Every case is different & deserves consideration but you cannot throw these things around.

Anonymous
Reply to  Corn Pop
2 years ago

Don’t threaten the victim with defamation. Registering a complaint is not defamation

Corn Pop
Reply to  Anonymous
2 years ago

Qld has Police . Its where you go to report molestation not TV .

Last edited 2 years ago by Corn Pop
anonymous
Reply to  Roll ‘Saders
2 years ago

Yes call the police for any assault on a minor.

Xman
Reply to  Roll ‘Saders
2 years ago

Dude she gave the kid whiplash.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  10U Dad
2 years ago

If a swim coach had grabbed one of my kids, he would’ve been shown the pavement face first.

Troyy
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
2 years ago

The story is about a she coach.

Beverly Drangus
Reply to  10U Dad
2 years ago

.

Last edited 2 years ago by Beverly Drangus
Sceptic
2 years ago

Now she has made three separate claims against 3 different individuals. Maybe she really has been a victim three times over, but maybe she is just trying to hold onto a career that’s ended. Unfortunately it seems she has also ended the career of two coaches before they have the chance of defending themselves against her allegations – one of whom recently accepted a new Swimming Australia HUB high performance role at the Sunshine Coast. Why doesn’t she name the 3rd alleged offender?

Tyson
Reply to  Sceptic
2 years ago

Swimming Australia offered to do a private investigation into her claims to which she declined which I find strange if she wants justice although I’d like to here her side more because it seems like it’s been a issue for her so it’s be great to have a full story get out from both sides

Gymswim
Reply to  Tyson
2 years ago

Gee, wonder why a victim doesn’t want the organisation she’s accused of protecting the perpetrator, that still employs them, to do the investigation…

Pick a Lane
Reply to  Sceptic
2 years ago

I hope she finally has “ended the career of two coaches”, both have had numerous complaints made about their conduct in the past and nothing was done. A simple google search shows this to be true.

Look closely at the names of the Australian world junior squad members over the past 8 years and do some research. The number of athletes from these teams that have mental health issues, disordered eating, self harm attempts and have disappeared from the sport after raising concerns is astounding.

And before the claims start that they just weren’t good enough and were looking to blame coaches for their failures, we are talking about the majority of the greatest junior talent in the… Read more »

Ready for it to explode!
Reply to  Sceptic
2 years ago

There are currently more issues within Swimming Australia than people realize. Google the name Darian Quadrio. Two high profile coaches from NSW will soon be on the stands. One is a head coach of an exclusive private school, whilst the other is an employee of NSW Swimming at their premier pool. Both will likely (and for good reason) be shown the door, and marked never to return. I hope they have good lawyers!

The cover up
Reply to  Ready for it to explode!
11 months ago

It seems like the Darian Quadrio case is or about to be before the courts. You were right about the exclusive private school coach. She has been stood down on full pay until the case is over. But all SOPAC coaches are still working.

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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