Rape scandal at Britain's most prestigious rowing club

Telegraph

2 days ago

Leander Club, which supplied more than half of Team GB's rowers at the Paris Olympics, has been accused of failing to properly investigate allegations of rape and harassment.
Telegraph Sport has learnt of three separate incidents involving male rowers who allegedly raped female squad members at the esteemed Henley-based club over the past five years.
It can be revealed:
A male squad member was accused of raping a female squad member in 2022 and was allowed to continue rowing.
A second male athlete was suspended and later excluded after being accused of harassing a female squad member before being readmitted on appeal. He was later accused of rape by another female Leander rower.
A third individual was alleged to have raped a female member in 2019 while a member at Leander, with his victim then forced to spend a two-week training camp with him.
A toxic culture of sexism and misogyny has pervaded at the club for years, with a senior member making sexually explicit jokes in an after-dinner speech at Leander's annual dinner in 2023.
Female rowers wore white ribbons and pink vests in a protest in plain sight against what was described as ' the worst-kept secret in British rowing '.
Concerns from female squad members, which were supported by more than a dozen of the men's rowing team, that sexual assault allegations were not being taken seriously were said to have been repeatedly ignored or dismissed by the Leander committee.
Leander's 13-day investigation found 'insufficient evidence'
A rape allegation against one man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was reported to the club in April 2023 following an incident on a team night out. After a Leander social in 2022, the man was accused of sexually assaulting a female club member, who was 18 years old at the time, at a flat in Henley.
Thames Valley Police confirmed to Telegraph Sport that the woman reported the rape allegation after informing Leander in April 2023, and several conversations took place between police and the alleged victim.
The woman did not meet officers in person to give a statement and the complaint was later withdrawn at the request of the alleged victim, who said that she had decided to 'stop the whole thing' because she found the process stressful and traumatising.
At the time, the accused was allowed to continue training and sharing facilities with the women's team at the clubhouse and on socials. He denies the allegations.
Then, on October 24, 2023, a letter seen by Telegraph Sport and signed by 33 athletes – roughly half of Leander's squad that season – raised concerns to the club committee regarding the conduct of the individual. Eighteen female and 15 male members cited 'multiple, serious allegations' against the man and requested Leander 'investigate these allegations as a matter of urgency and take appropriate action for the safety and wellbeing of other athletes'.
Athletes were particularly concerned that no obvious action had been taken regarding an investigation and that the accused had been able to 'train, eat and socialise in the same room as the victim', making them 'deeply uncomfortable in his presence'.
The club responded on November 6, 2023, fewer than two weeks after concerns were raised, by informing athletes that an investigation by chairman Pete Bridge and welfare representative Keith Settle had been concluded and the matter would not progress to a disciplinary hearing because of 'insufficient evidence'.
It is understood that one male witness volunteered to give evidence as part of the investigation into the rape allegation and sent a statement about what he saw that night to Leander. Several other women also submitted accounts as evidence, but it is understood that none of them were spoken to in the two weeks between sending the letter and the club closing the investigation.
'Once that happened, everyone was pretty pissed off,' said one female member who wished to remain anonymous.
The alleged victim subsequently left Leander and no longer rows for the club.
'He would force her to talk to him'
At around the same time Leander received a complaint about a second male rower, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, accusing him of harassment towards a female member and former partner.
The man was accused of shouting at the woman in public places and intentionally cornering her at the club in places like the gym. Witnesses told Telegraph Sport about one incident where the man was 'visibly trying to corner her and wouldn't leave her alone' in front of other members. 'We do a lot of training on static bikes and he would wait until she would get on the bike and then start talking to her. He would force her to talk to him.'
Another witness reported seeing the man shouting across the club at the woman.
The man admitted harassing the woman and he was suspended by Leander before being thrown out of the club. However, an independent appeal panel ruled in his favour and permitted his return.
Telegraph Sport understands that the woman who was subjected to harassment was then approached by another female rower who accused the man of previously raping her. It is understood that this allegation was never brought to the club or police and it is also understood that the man denies the allegation.
Following his return to the club, the entire women's rowing team were addressed by the committee in a meeting, in which it is claimed that one senior individual said: 'It's so inconvenient that you all have problems with this, it's not my problem if you have a bad break-up.'
One female rower told Telegraph Sport: 'I assumed people in power would care if we went to them and told them we felt unsafe. But the club was like, 'Just leave us alone.''
Protest at 'worst-kept secret in British rowing'
The readmission of the individual accused of harassment and rape prompted a furious reaction among female members. The women's team boycotted training at Leander for a week, before deciding to stop wearing the traditional white vests of the club and instead wear pink kit as a form of protest and show of solidarity with team-mates.
The move was against what they perceived as the club's preferential treatment of the two male rowers – in what appears to be rowing's 'Me Too' moment – making their point in plain sight by competing in an alternative pink strip throughout last year's regatta season.
The women's team also staged a training boycott, with the support of the men's squad, when they were forced to share facilities. Several male members joined them in wearing the white ribbons in protest.
'We designed our own Leander kit so we didn't have to wear the same kit as him. It was the only compromise Leander would allow,' a source said.
The women also started to wear white ribbons on their vests throughout the 2024 regatta season, in a sign of solidarity with victims of sexual abuse and rape. 'We stopped wearing the traditional Leander strip. We had these white ribbons,' the source added.
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Word spread quickly throughout the rowing community and the female members at Leander received support from other crews, including Oxford and Cambridge Universities, who displayed their support by wearing white ribbons in solidarity.
'A lot of other clubs joined in and wore white ribbons during June and July last year. I mean, this is the worst-kept secret in British rowing. This is not going to be news to anyone that rows. If anyone has been in contact with a woman who rows at Leander they will know this story. It was an ongoing experience for all of us.'
The individual, who denied the rape allegation, eventually left the club during the 2024 season.
Rape allegations 'common knowledge'
While investigating the 2023 allegations, Telegraph Sport was told of a third individual, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who was accused of rape in 2020 by another female member of the club. The alleged victim took the allegation to the club, but just two days later she was told to attend a two-week training camp with the man where they were forced to stay in the same building.
Rowers who have been a part of Leander within the last five years are aware of all allegations, which have become 'common knowledge', and yet, at the end-of-season dinner in November 2023, several attendees were stunned by the after-dinner speech given by a veteran member.
The individual, who has been a member of Leander for more than three decades and has served in multiple leadership positions, was alleged to have made multiple sexual remarks and indirect references to his penis in a speech that took place just days after the club closed its investigation into the athlete accused of rape in 2022.
Leander and British Rowing respond
In response to Telegraph Sport 's investigation, Leander said: 'Leander Club takes seriously all issues relating to the safeguarding of our athletes. We have strict procedures in place to carefully examine any formal complaints and regularly review our club disciplinary processes to ensure they are fit for purpose, treating our athletes fairly and with respect.
'In addition to an updated code of conduct, we have partnered with a specialist external provider to ensure members of the club know without doubt the standards we expect and the ways to highlight any individual misconduct. When issues are raised, we will continue to take immediate action where necessary to protect the welfare of our athletes.
Mr Bridge, the Lander chairman, added: 'The athletes in our squads are at the heart of this club. When safeguarding issues arise, as with any organisation, there is a strict and confidential process that is followed to protect those involved. We continually review our safeguarding measures and have updated these in line with our ambition to ensure rowing is inclusive and accessible for the next wave of athletes pursuing their dreams of international sporting success.'
A British Rowing spokesperson said: 'We are not able to comment on individual safeguarding concerns and processes conducted at clubs owing to their confidential nature.
'As such there is a very limited amount that we can say when we are approached in connection with issues that fall into this category. What we are able to say categorically is that the safety of people taking part in our sport is the very first item of importance on our agenda. We investigate anything reported to us fully and comprehensively, as you would expect and as it is our remit to do. This would have been the case if sufficient information had been raised with us to conduct an investigation in respect of the raised allegations.
'Our priority is to ensure all our members have a safe experience within our club network. We strongly encourage any members with concerns to speak up and report them to their Club Welfare Officer or our governance team at [e-mail]. Your voice matters.'
'Toxic' environments elsewhere in British rowing
The revelations at Leander come just one month after British Rowing were forced to address 'bullying' allegations and fears of a 'toxic' environment at Oxford Brookes University Rowing Club, the country's second-most successful high-performance rowing centre.
Oxford Brookes were accused of coaching practices that included a 'toughness sheet', which ranked athletes by their weight, with criticism that included 'put down the pies', and the 'jiggle test' where rowers were made to jump in front of a mirror to determine whether they needed to lose weight.
An independently commissioned report was handed to Oxford Brookes in April this year, with the club now looking to address concerns among its rowers, but the two scandals in close proximity have raised serious questions around British rowing's culture as a sport for all.
An Oxford Brookes statement read: 'Respect and inclusion are central to our university culture. As soon as concerns were raised about coaching practices at Oxford Brookes University Boat Club, we launched an independent investigation.
'We have since received the investigation report and taken steps to address the issues raised, including leadership changes and targeted training. We are proud of our high-performance rowers and remain committed to all members of the Boat Club, and we appreciate the continued support and guidance of British Rowing.'