Sports integrity commissioner says only 34% complaints admissible in 1st annual report
Global News
Only 34 per cent of complaints submitted to the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner in its first year were deemed to call under the office's jurisdiction.
The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) has concluded its first year in operation, and just over one-third (34 per cent) of complaints of maltreatment in sports were deemed admissible for investigation.
Between June 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, the OSIC received 193 complaints of maltreatment, according to its first annual report released Wednesday. Of those, 66 were deemed admissible as they fall under the office’s jurisdiction.
As of June 30, the admissibility of nine complaints is still pending.
The purpose of OSIC is to prevent and address maltreatment in sports and influence positive cultural change. In addition to investigative and sanctioning powers, the office runs seminars and outreach for those involved in sports.
Currently, OSIC only has the authority to investigate complaints in sports funded at the federal level, such as national-level teams for hockey and soccer, and with organizations that are signatories with the office.
Since its creation, 86 federal sports agencies have become signatories. Most notably, for Hockey Canada, signing up with OSIC was a term in having its federal funding reinstated after it was pulled amid allegations the agency helped cover up sexual assault allegations involving the 2018 World Juniors Team.
These 86 organizations represent about 17,000 athletes.
When sports agencies sign on, they commit to upholding the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport, drafted by the commissioner.
