Here are new turmoil which the French Fencing Federation (FFE) would have done well without. Already shaken by the departure of the foil coach Lionel Plumenail, the management considered authoritarian by Hugues Obry at the head of the sword, and the revolt of certain sabreurs of the federal framework after the World Championships in Italy in half-tone, in July, the FFE is caught up today by a new controversy.
Thursday, October 26, Bruno Gares, the former president of the federation – who resigned on September 29, for personal reasons – and Jacqueline Felzines, president of the ethics and professional conduct commission of the FFE were present during a hearing, before the commission of inquiry of the National Assembly, on dysfunctions in the federations. They displayed their differences of interpretation on the handling of cases of sexual and gender-based violence within fencing, one of the disciplines that provide the most Olympic medals for France.
Jacqueline Felzines was surprised by the drop in the number of declarations of serious facts within a federation of 55,000 licensees. Reports increased from eighteen reports for the 2021-2022 season to eight in the following financial year. “This reduction must be the subject of an in-depth analysis”she affirmed before the parliamentarians, suggesting that certain recent disciplinary decisions of the FFE could have contributed to “reduce speaking” among fencers.
Mme Felzines specified, in an opening statement, that the ethics and professional conduct commission had established numerous reports showing disparities in the treatment of violence within the federation. In front of the deputies Sabrina Sebaihi (Nupes, Seine-Saint-Denis) and Béatrice Bellamy (Horizons, Vendée), respectively rapporteur and president of the commission of inquiry, the ethics manager of the FFE spoke of disciplinary decisions “astounding”.
“No means to take precautionary measures”
She cites the example of a fencing master and a club president, both registered in Fijais – the automated judicial file for perpetrators of sexual or violent offenses. The first was sentenced to a ten-year suspension by the federation. But the second, found guilty in 2022 by the courts of possession of child pornography images, was authorized by the FFE disciplinary committee – which pleads “the right to rehabilitation”denounces Mme Felzines – to continue training, even if his titles of club president and federal educator were taken away from him.
“Why does a person convicted of sexual violence and registered with Fijais still have a license with the FFE? », wonders the former swordswoman. It also highlights abnormally long processing times by the Discipline and Disciplinary Committee. “difficulties in characterizing the facts as sexual assault” by the latter. In short, she would be dragging her feet a bit in processing the cases.
“We cannot prohibit someone from taking a sports license, replies Bruno Gares. If he is registered with Fijais, he has the right to play sport, it is in the legal texts. » The former boss of the federation justified to the deputies that, as soon as he became aware of cases of sexual or gender-based violence during his presidency, he contacted the competent authorities. He argued, like his gymnastics counterpart James Blateau shortly before him before the commission of inquiry, that he had “not not the means to take precautionary measures” against educators or volunteers involved. “It’s up to the sports ministry to do it, they have means of investigation. »
But contrary to what Mr. Gares asserts, sports federations have the power to do so, recalled Fabienne Bourdais during her hearing in July by the parliamentary committee. The director of sports at the ministry then explained: “Three types of procedures exist for the same facts: a judicial procedure, an administrative procedure falling under the responsibility of the ministry and its services, and a disciplinary procedure, which is within the competence of the federations. »
Asked about the mission – still in progress – of the general inspection launched in March on the federation, Bruno Gares says he does not know the reasons. He assures that he has not had any discussions with the sports department of the ministry, which had nevertheless been alerted at the start of the year of dysfunctions linked to the president of the FFE.
Violence in the gym: the federation “does not have the power” to suspend an accused coach
The president of the French Gymnastics Federation, James Blateau, explained, Thursday October 26, before the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the dysfunctions of sports federations, that he did not have the power to suspend the coaches of the FFGym put involved in cases of violence or mistreatment. James Blateau, as well as David Vallée, its executive director, were questioned in particular about the follow-up given to a report from the program “Stade 2, last May, which broadcast testimonies from six former gymnasts of the French team denouncing abuse. They spoke of physical and psychological violence from two coaches.
One of the two, a state civil servant, was suspended by the sports ministry following the broadcast of the report. But on Thursday, James Blateau spoke of his powerlessness to be able to sanction the other accused, currently employed in a club in Rouen. “The coach is not an employee of the Federation, he is an employee of a club which itself is affiliated with the Federation. But we have no control over his employment, neither over his recruitment nor over firing him. It is the president of the club, the employer, who decides”did he declare.
“We do not have the capacity to take a precautionary measure directly”added David Vallée. “It is within the power of the president of the disciplinary commission. The president of the disciplinary commission, although he was requested by the president [de la Fédération], has not taken this type of measure in particular for the coach who is not a state executive. »