Former Irish Amateur Boxing Association President Gerry O’Mahony has been jailed for four years, with nine months suspended for sexual assault of a woman he had known since his early teens and in whose life he held a position of trust.
He had not informed the IABA or his local club of the charges against him until a report in the Irish Examiner just weeks before he was due to fly to the Olympic Games in Paris representing Irish Boxing.
He had been charged with the offence, an attack that took place when the woman was a teenager more than a decade previously but the case had been referred up to a higher court given the gravity of the charge.
Since that time he had continued to serve in his position of trust at local and national level without ever seeing that his actions would be damaging to the victim or the sport.
The law does not allow for either the accused or the victim in cases of sexual assault to be named. Only after a conviction can this happen.
In the recent case of Conor McGregor, the fact it was a commercial case seeking damages rather than a criminal one meant this did not apply.
Once O’Mahony’s case became a matter of the public record he did step down.
The IABA Board could not have made any legal move against him prior to that though if there were rumours, was there anything else that might have been possible.
Where does the line need to be drawn in ethical terms if the law does not allow for action to be taken?
SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
The duty of care which all coaches and officials have is now legislatively recognised through the safeguarding and Garda Vetting that all volunteers and paid officials have to undertake on a regular cycle. There are no exceptions, but at the same time there is no way of even this level of scrutiny picking up on bad people until they have been caught.
Young people in different sports have endured abuse of the most heinous kind through the enabling of bad people to attain positions of trust in their lives through coaching. Vigilance on everyone’s part is more important now than ever before and there are multiple rules and regulations on contact with young people, transport, one-to-one situations and more that have to be strictly adhered to.
When one position of trust in sport is abused it can destroy a life and also cast a shadow over the powerful work that hundreds of thousands of well intentioned volunteers do every day of the week.
We all have to be vigilant in cutting out any opportunity for these people.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
Safeguarding is an always on activity in every sports club and at every National Governing Body. Giving it prominence and getting it right every time is vital.
The Sport for Business Membership comprises nearly 300 organisations, including all the leading sports and sponsors, as well as commercial and state agencies.
