Golgota Files Abuse Complaint with FRG

[phoenix7]

"My mother is the only one who knows the way [and] has the training and knowledge necessary to keep me among the best gymnasts on the planet".

Read out on her phone and posted on her mother's Facebook page.

Poor Sabrina.

EuronewsRO

Sportiva considerată numărul unu în lotul olimpic al României a reacționat, în exclusivitate pentru Euronews România, după apariția unor imagini în care mama și antrenoarea sa pare să o agreseze fizic...

www.euronews.ro

 

[Angelika]

Sabrina is in denial that there is a problem because this is all she has known - this is so sad

 

[phoenix7]

You have to wonder how Romania's sponsors feel about this. I know money is tight - are they risking making it even tighter if they don't react?

The President of Romania's National Agency for Sport has expressed some concern, at least, and is waiting to hear from FRG

Reacția șefului ANS Bogdan Matei, după imaginile prezentate de GOLAZO.ro cu Camelia și Sabrina Voinea: „Te-ai fi așteptat ca mama să fie mai protectoare”

Bogdan Matei (45 de ani), președintele Agenției Naționale pentru Sport (ANS), a reacționat după imaginile publicate de GOLAZO.ro. Acestea o surprind pe antrenoarea Camelia Voinea (55 de ani) în timp ce își agresează verbal fiica, gimnasta Sabrina Voinea (18 ani).

golazo.ro

 

[Denn]

As much as people want to bring to light Voinea's actions, I feel uncomfortable with the release of the video footage to the public. I feel like the person being hurt, in this case Sabrina, should be given that decision-making power (when they become an adult). If there's already hurt there, this could add onto it. And there's other ways of addressing the actions of the adult.

(Obviously, I can see why someone might supply video like this to the federation. I even wonder if it might be acceptable to show the video to a few trusted media people, though I would defer to other people's expertise about situations like this, both in terms of the sensitivity and any legal concerns.)

 

[MaryClare]

As much as people want to bring to light Voinea's actions, I feel uncomfortable with the release of the video footage to the public. I feel like the person being hurt, in this case Sabrina, should be given that decision-making power (when they become an adult). If there's already hurt there, this could add onto it. And there's other ways of addressing the actions of the adult.

(Obviously, I can see why someone might supply video like this to the federation. I even wonder if it might be acceptable to show the video to a few trusted media people, though I would defer to other people's expertise about situations like this, both in terms of the sensitivity and any legal concerns.)

Journalistic integrity/ethics do not exist in Romania. Which is why Alina Alexoi was able to publicly trash Ana Barbosu so freely and it was only the FIG who stepped in and attempted to curb it by revoking Alexoi’s press credentials at FIG events.

 

[FrolovasDoubleLayout]

Agreed (to Denn's post). When there are aggressors and victims involved and especially if the victim(s) are minors, it is usually okay to say that there is substantiated video evidence of physical abuse that has been viewed by the appropriate authorities and an investigation has been launched. It makes it clear that evidence has been provided, while saving the victim some undo damage.

 

[Ms Motts]

I agree, it puts a traumatised young person into the position of having to publicly defend their attacker without the safeguards that could be in place if this was an official investigation rather than a trial-by-social-media.

On the other hand, it sounds like the person who filmed it did report it, if the federation have had that footage for years, and it (and the other formal complaints) has lead nowhere so I can see why someone got frustrated enough to go public. Trusted press who would review the footage but not show it (we have some papers and channels here who would do it that way) would have been a more measured first step.

What type of publication is this? Is it the Romanian version of the Daily Mirror? The language in it seems very emotive rather than like objective reporting, but it's impossible for me to judge whether it would was written that way or whether that's an artifact of the auto-translate process.

 

[BB12]

As nice as the notion of Camelia getting suspend and Sabrina finding a different coach is, I just don't see what happening. Any suspension of Cameila will see the end of Sabrina in the sport or see her move to someone Cameila can control from the sidelines,

Given that it is her mother and how much she is clearly being controlled by her, I just don't see a way out of it for Sabrina that gets her away from the abusive people that are in every aspect of her life. It's such a sad situation for everyone involved.

 

[MaryClare]

I agree, it puts a traumatised young person into the position of having to publicly defend their attacker without the safeguards that could be in place if this was an official investigation rather than a trial-by-social-media.

On the other hand, it sounds like the person who filmed it did report it, if the federation have had that footage for years, and it (and the other formal complaints) has lead nowhere so I can see why someone got frustrated enough to go public. Trusted press who would review the footage but not show it (we have some papers and channels here who would do it that way) would have been a more measured first step.

What type of publication is this? Is it the Romanian version of the Daily Mirror? The language in it seems very emotive rather than like objective reporting, but it's impossible for me to judge whether it would was written that way or whether that's an artifact of the auto-translate process.

You are applying the professionalism, ethics and journalistic standards of the anglosphere to Romania

 

[KorbutFan]

Camelia plays the politics well and it appears there is a group of gymnasts that stick together. It seems as though Gina Gogean is the leader of the old guard witht he support of Ponor and Voinea as well as Silivas.

She’s deleted it now but at the weekend Silivas posted some old gymnastics photos saying it was the old style of coaching that made her the best gymnast in the world.

 

[rlayt]

That kind of coaching doesn’t make for the best now. I would say it perpetuates the cycle of abuse.

 

[Matilda23]

Does Sabrina have a father in her life? (Camelia’s husband is Sabrina’s step-father yes)? Sabrina’s name sometimes appears as “Maneca-Voinea”. Who is Maneca?

 

[Ginger]

Does Sabrina have a father in her life? (Camelia’s husband is Sabrina’s step-father yes)? Sabrina’s name sometimes appears as “Maneca-Voinea”. Who is Maneca?

This Manuel Maneca maybe? But since old Voinea tagged him in this video, it seems like he is fine with whatever is going on with Sabrina.

 

[Puffin]

It's really, really sad that the internal coaching culture in Romania has not really moved on in the 20 years since 11 year old Adriana Giurca was beaten to death by her coach Florian Gheorghe

 

[BJM123]

Using the machine translation
Link: https://www.digisport.ro/gimnastica...olgota-am-depus-plangere-la-federatie-3888021
She alleges that (unnamed) person harassed her and tried to break her mentally, and that they also threatened her with physical beatings, saying they would punch her until she was disfigured. She filed complaints with the FRG, but she says they've been completely ignored. The harassment happened in public, and the only support she had in Jakarta was Mrs. Corina Morosan. She says the federation favors only one gymnast. She still hopes action will be taken and things will be okay in the future.

This article: https://golazo.ro/denisa-golgota-sabrina-voinea-camelia-voinea-scandal-ioan-suciu-153906 alleges the complaint is against Sabrina Voinea, who (among things) says in front of other people that "she (Voinea) will punch her (Golotha) 100 times in her heads, that she will punch her in the mouth until she disfigures her." This article says that Anamaria Mihaescu has also filed complaints. A source says that "One is allowed to eat something, the other is not; one is allowed one type of medication, the other is not."
It also states that Golgotha had food poisoning before the floor final, losing over 2 lbs and not getting much sleep. Sabrina did not, because she ate separately because she has other funds.
The quote from Ioan Suciu, the federation president:

“I spoke to Denisa a little earlier. I literally don’t know where these things came from because we just came back from the Worlds.

I do not know the name of the person mentioned in the complaint. We are going to investigate and see what it is about. But I'm coming back to you, I'm in another phone call."

In this article: https://www.prosport.ro/alte-sportu...exclusiv-20309032?brid=t7-6QMi34gTBk6P6rIgczg Camila Voinea say the allegations are because Voinea did better than Golgotha at Worlds, and she threatens to sue Golgotha

Ok...I have read up on this: I have a couple of questions (1) there appears to be a lot of ill talk about Voinea and her mother, why is the Romanian Gymnastics Federation not TRULLY addressing this issue? This isn't the first time that gymnasts have complained. (2) She (Voinea's mother) is even abused towards her own daughter, Sabrina, and no one is seeing this? NO WAY!, (3) Voinea's mother is threatening to file a lawsuit against Golotha but this comes across as retaliation for what apparently is COMMON knowledge. She stated that her daughter "is much better" than Golotha but at the same time, she doesn't want to acknowledge the overtraining and forcing gymnasts to compete when they are not able to. Isn't there a tribunal or investigation for this?....Is Voinea the only gymnast to file a complaint? No. Anamaria Mihaescu has also filed a formal complaint too. The fact that Ioan Suciu is trying to pretend to "not know" is disturbing!....What's worse is that apparently Sabrina is a bully too and other gymnasts have complained about her threatening Golotha. No investigation? No sanctions? All of this and Denisa was forced to compete sick....This is what I think: (1) the Voineas have a type of cover up thing going on, (2) the other gymnasts don't truly speak up out of fear of losing funding and training, (3) the Romanian Gymnastics Federation already has their mind set up on WHO will represent them and to what capacity that this is to occur. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) MUST get involved. This is NOTHING short of inoculated torture!

 

[phoenix7]

Ok...I have read up on this: I have a couple of questions (1) there appears to be a lot of ill talk about Voinea and her mother, why is the Romanian Gymnastics Federation not TRULLY addressing this issue? This isn't the first time that gymnasts have complained. (2) She (Voinea's mother) is even abused towards her own daughter, Sabrina, and no one is seeing this? NO WAY!, (3) Voinea's mother is threatening to file a lawsuit against Golotha but this comes across as retaliation for what apparently is COMMON knowledge. She stated that her daughter "is much better" than Golotha but at the same time, she doesn't want to acknowledge the overtraining and forcing gymnasts to compete when they are not able to. Isn't there a tribunal or investigation for this?....Is Voinea the only gymnast to file a complaint? No. Anamaria Mihaescu has also filed a formal complaint too. The fact that Ioan Suciu is trying to pretend to "not know" is disturbing!....What's worse is that apparently Sabrina is a bully too and other gymnasts have complained about her threatening Golotha. No investigation? No sanctions? All of this and Denisa was forced to compete sick....This is what I think: (1) the Voineas have a type of cover up thing going on, (2) the other gymnasts don't truly speak up out of fear of losing funding and training, (3) the Romanian Gymnastics Federation already has their mind set up on WHO will represent them and to what capacity that this is to occur. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) MUST get involved. This is NOTHING short of inoculated torture!

I suppose there are lots of people affiliated to the FRG, probably including past gymnasts, who have similar incidents in their coaching pasts. I remember Andreea Raducan showed her inaugural speech as president of the FRG a few years ago, in her film. Her big pitch seemed to be, no more complaining about coaches.

The incident with Camelia and Sabrina is hard to watch now, but I don't think it would have been career-ending for a parent-coach in the 1970s anywhere. Or the 1980s. 1990s? 2000s? Must depend on wider culture and childrearing practice where you lived. The gymnasts' memoirs we've been looking at don't suggest Romania was an anomaly any ti!f last century.

So there are a lot of people - including I'm sure Octavian Belu and Mariana Bitang - with something like this in their pasts, and they're the people who are funding Romania's elite gymnasts, these days. There must be a lot of people who realise they may be better off hanging together in denial / minimisation than trying to hang Camelia separately. They're probably going to need an external body to intervene, if anything is to happen.

 

[Angelika]

....What's worse is that apparently Sabrina is a bully too and other gymnasts have complained about her threatening Golotha.

But isn't this usually the case - the bullied/abused become bullies/abusers themselves. The cycle needs to be broken.
Sabrina needs to be taken away from her mother's control but I feel that ship has sailed. Sabrina is an adult herself and can do what she wants/be coached by who she wants.

Such a sad situation - Sabrina could have been the next Romanian superstar...