Silence is not always a choice. Sometimes, it is the result of a power imbalance.
In December 2020, two-time Olympic sailing medallist Sofia Bekatorou spoke publicly about the sexual abuse she experienced in 1998 by a senior official of the Hellenic Sailing Federation.
For 23 years, she remained silent in a system without a safe, independent way to speak out.
Although the statute of limitations had expired, her voice created change. Her testimony encouraged other athletes to come forward and became a catalyst for Greece’s #MeToo movement in sport.
Her story reminds us why sport needs:
✅ Safe and independent reporting channels.
✅ Recognition of the power imbalance between athletes and those in authority.
✅ Survivors to be heard, taken seriously and supported.
No athlete should have to wait 23 years to be heard.
Safe sport is built when silence is broken.
CoViS – Combating Violence in Sport is an Erasmus+ Sport project co-funded by the European Union.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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