Abuse reports on rise; SafeSport Center seeks more money

DENVER (AP) — The U.S. Center for SafeSport is fielding 55 percent more reports of sex abuse and other misconduct in 2019 than it did last year.

That spike is leading to an increasingly urgent debate over who should provide the lion’s share of money to an organization tasked with investigating sex-abuse claims in Olympic sports and is struggling to manage its caseload.

This week, the 2 ½-year-old center received a $1.3 million infusion from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee that brings the USOPC’s overall contribution to $7.4 million in 2019.

The country’s national governing bodies have contributed $2.05 million for this year, and including a small government grant and other donations, the center will operate on $10.5 million in 2019.

Officials at the center believe it’s an untenable amount for an organization that is now receiving an average of 239 reports a month, compared to 154 during a typical month last year.