More than 20 Venezuelan women’s team players released an open letter on social media on Tuesday (5) accusing coach Kenneth Zasremeta of sexual, physical and psychological abuse and harassment.
The 55-year-old Panamanian coached several categories of the Venezuelan women’s team between 2008 and 2017. According to the players’ group in the country, Zermeta may have also misbehaved with underage athletes.
“In 2020, one of our partners told us that she had been sexually abused by trainer Kenneth Zeremetta from the age of 14. These abuses continued until she was fired.
He had one partner in all of this, who was Williams Pino. The news was hard to absorb, as many of us feel guilty for not realizing something so serious and punishing. At the same time, the revelation did not surprise us, because this is the kind of environment that our coach has ‘cultivated'”, says one of the excerpts from the text.
The statement also condemned the psychological abuse committed against female players he knew were part of the LGBTI community. The note ended with an appeal to FIFA to “proceed to ensure that this coach is banned from the world of women’s football”.
Zasermeta captained the Venezuelan senior national team in the 2014 Copa América, as well as managing the country’s under-17 team at the 2014 and 2017 World Cups.
-Australia- Allegations of sexual harassment in women’s football have not surfaced only in Venezuela. Lisa De Vanna and Raleigh Dobson, two players with experience with the Australian national team, said in an interview with the “Sydney Daily Telegraph” newspaper that they have been abused throughout their careers.
“I was a girl and I didn’t know what to do, but now I’ve decided to talk about it, because I know things like this still happen on every level, and it’s about them.” It’s time to talk,” Day said. Vanna, who has hung up his shoes.
The Australian Football Association has announced that it will launch an investigation into the matter and take a “zero tolerance” position against those responsible.
– United States – In the United States, where multiple allegations of abuse have tainted the North American Women’s Football League (NWSL), the president of one of the clubs involved, the Washington Spirit, has resigned.
Steve Baldwin’s decision comes soon after former Washington Spirit coach Richie Burke was fired on charges of bullying and verbal harassment.
At the center of the scandal, in addition to Burke, is North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley, who was fired from the role after two players accused him of sexual assault. .
