Brazil's Olympic Sports To Open Public Complaints Channel

(ATR) - Brazilian Olympic Committee VP Marco la Porta tells Around the Rings that a new communication channel aimed at dealing with instances of harassment and abuse will open later this month.

"Anyone can make a complaint. This channel responds to the process of restructuring the COB, to have better governance and more transparency, " la Porta said.

"Our goal is to ensure a healthy environment in sport, free of harassment or any form of violence or fraud."

Representatives of the COB confirmed to ATR that the new channel will be inaugurated May 22nd.

It "will serve for all types of complaints or for any information that the public wants to obtain from the COB," a spokesperson for the Olympic body said. This link will be available on the Internet at the official COB website.

The announcement comes at a time when Brazilian sport has been shaken by two sex abuse scandals. One involves a former artistic gymnastics coach and -- so far -- 42 alleged victims, all men.

The other centers in the lower leagues of the famous Santos soccer club. A 19-year-old former player charged that he was sexually abused when he was 11 years old.

The accused man was working as the coordinator of the club's Youth Academy.

The gymnastics scandal was revealed on TV Globo. It said a former coach from an industrial region south of Sao Paulo, was at the center of the accusations.

The alleged violations occurred between 2001 and 2016. Both men have denied the accusations.

At least some of the changes are the result of the Larry Nassar / USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal.

Meanwhile, the NOC is waiting for the resolution of charges against the former president of the COB. Carlos Nuzman is accused of participating in an operation to buy votes for the Olympic headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

"Cases like this one in the United States bring a big concern for sport, but not only in gymnastics because they also happen in other sports ... The alert signal has been connected, everyone is more attentive" he commented.

The CBG (Brazilian Confederation of Gymnastics) also made changes in its internal procedures.

In March, this entity signed a Cooperation Term against Sexual Harassment and Abuse in Sport with the Public Ministry of Labor, according to the newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo.

Analysts in Brazil say that while there have been lamentable acts of corruption, abuse and sexual harassment, there is a new vision of opportunities for victims to lose fears and denounce arbitrariness.

Reported by Miguel Hernandez.