FIFA hands Haitian soccer president lifetime ban for sexual abuse
Yves Jean-Bart, the Haitian soccer federation president, has been banned from the sport for life. He is accused of systematic sexual abuse of female players.
The FIFA ethics committee found Jean-Bart guilty of “having abused his position and sexually harassed and abused various female players, including minors” from 2014 until this year.
The abuse is said to have happened at the country’s national training center at Croix-des-Bouquets, which FIFA helped fund. It was known as “The Ranch.”
Jean-Bart was also fined one million Swiss francs. But he has denied the allegations and is filing an appeal.
“FIFA’s decision is a travesty of justice and purely political move to avoid further controversy and bad press following a series of high-profile scandals,” Evan Nierman, a spokesperson for Jean-Bart said.
