Vera Pauw (59), the former Dutch soccer player and current coach of the Irish women’s team, has confessed that she was raped and sexually assaulted by three men who worked in Dutch soccer when she was a player, and has regretted that the federation has not addressed her accusations properly.
Considered one of the pioneers of women’s football in the Netherlands, Pauw wrote yesterday on Twitter in which she recounted what happened: “For 35 years I have kept a secret from the world, my family, my teammates and work and my players. I can now accept it ”(…)“Even the people closest to me did not know about the rape suffered by a prominent soccer official when she was a young player”, she pointed out.
“Subsequently”, he recounted, “I suffered two more sexual assaults by two other men. All three were working in Dutch football at the time of these incidents. Only those I can trust have known about the systematic sexual abuse, abuse of power, harassment, intimidation, isolation and incrimination I was exposed to in Dutch football as a player and national team manager.”
Pauw says that he has tried for years to have his case heard by the authorities of his country, but his efforts have been in vain. “Some people would rather keep my rape and sexual assault a secret than offer me the support I need by sharing this story.”
After providing up to five reports to the Dutch Federation and verifying that she hit a wall, the Irish coach went to report the incident to the police: “I don’t have to hide anymore. I hope I can continue my life in freedom. I know that going public is going to put the spotlight on my life in a way I’ve never experienced before, but I also hope that other young footballers and coaches who were exposed to something like the rape and abuse I suffered now feel brave enough enough to step forward and share their stories”, adds Pauw.
From the Dutch Football Federation (KNVB), its leaders acknowledge that they suffered a great shock after learning of the complaint and allege that the process was referred to an independent consultant specializing in security and integrity.
After conducting no less than 22 interviews, the report reveals a series of errors in the treatment of the attacks suffered by Vera Pauw and concludes that the federation “did not react quickly enough to the first alerts about sexual misconduct in 2011” .
