New Quebec Bill Seeks to Enhance Protection of Young Athletes Against Abuse and Harassment
Quebec’s sports minister has introduced a bill to enhance protections for young athletes and establish a new position to investigate complaints.
Isabelle Charest announced that Bill 45 would establish a recreation and sport integrity ombudsperson to receive abuse and harassment complaints, initiate independent investigations, and provide recommendations.
The bill, which modifies an existing law on sports safety, ensures protections for complainants and eliminates a 120-day time limit to file a complaint.
Charest stated that the ombudsperson position will replace the independent complaints officer’s office, which was created three years ago to handle abuse cases.
The bill will also strengthen police background checks for individuals working with minors or regularly in contact with them.
A recent report from the Education Department identified concerns with the criminal background verification process.
Related Stories
In a social media post, Premier François Legault said that volunteers—coaches, referees, and other professionals—should be commended for their work in youth sport. However, he added that the government aims to provide additional resources to safeguard young people from a “few bad apples.”
