A happy child, who loved the game and her teammates, and was "totally focused on winning a gold medal".
"It was almost as though a switch was turned off and from that moment any relationship with anybody … was just wrong because there was this lie," she said.Karen eventually found her way out of the situation and built a new life, but the anguish of the grooming and abuse resurfaced when her own child began playing softball.Karen says the person who abused her was an Australian softball coach, and she believes Softball Australia is liable.
But lawyer Simon Brook from KnowMore, who works with survivors of child sexual abuse who are trying to get access to the scheme, says it remains a problem that some of the smaller sports have not signed up until now. "Softball Australia has a dedicated senior staff member to handle member complaints, and any complaint – whether historical or contemporary – must be treated in a timely and sensitive manner," the statement outlined.
The stupid term 'groomed' has to change to reflect the exact cause. Conned, lied to, persuaded due to nativity, forced, whatever applies so that we can stop it. Groomed sounds too nice. Like bride and groom
Gotta sue someone right.