By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter

A state television's in-depth report on sexual harassment, and even alleged rape by sports coaches of female athletes is causing an outrage across the nation.

The KBS ``Ssam'' investigative program on Monday aired its ``Report on Human Rights in Sports and Sexual Assaults'' showing perpetrators with their reputations and social status remaining intact, and their female victims suffering from long-time trauma.

In the program, a sports insider testified that many of his fellow trainers said, ``Having a sexual relationship is the first way to gain control of female athletes; violence is the second.''

These ``control methods'' are rampant in sports such as football, swimming, volleyball and basketball, to name just a few, where 90 percent of the training staff are men. The victims ranged from elementary school students to professional athletes, and they spoke of the effects not only on themselves, but also on their families and friends.

The sport authorities, schools or even players and parents, have covered up most of these cases, one father said. ``Revealing the case in public is like destroying one's career, as most training staff share information about players between themselves and will not accept people who make a large fuss.''

The program introduced the one time captain of a professional volleyball team who was warned to keep silent about the team's coach raping nearly all of her teammates. She was told they would not be accepted in other teams if they raised the incident. The team was eventually dissolved.

Another almost identical case involved basketball players at a high school who had to keep silent about their coaches. After they testified, the coaches banned them playing or assaulted them.

In some cases, though the charges made by the players are heard and accepted by the authorities, the new staff often conduct the same acts of violence on them, assuring victims that the systematic problem will never change.

The female victims have all suffered from trauma ― one of them confessed to hurting herself ― but the male perpetrators, in many cases, led ordinary lives. The program reported that among the list of those accused, some are prominent figures in sports.

After the program, it's Web site was inundated with angry viewers asking for severe punishment for the sexual offenders. Parents with would-be sports player children expressed concerns over the safety of their daughters.

``My daughter plays football, but I am not sure whether I cannot let her to go through this,'' the mother of a soccer player said.

The typical sports circle is a hierarchical and male dominant world, where order-and-obey is systemized under the name of fighting for victory, Prof. Jeong Hee-jun of Dong-A University said. ``These players know nothing beyond their sports, and therefore, don't risk their playing career.''

``They have no friends, hobbies, professions, knowledge outside of sports and what would they do once they quit? That's the basis of the fear and what these sexual-assaulters are taking advantage of,'' he said.

After Woori Bank basketball team coach Park Myung-su had to resign over a sex scandal last year, rumors that female players are habitually sexually abused by male coaches and others began being confirmed. Now, the viewers and other people have called for a thorough investigation into the serious scandal and the government to institute prevention programs.

The basketball and other sports associations have yet to comment on the program 's allegations.

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr