While the Romanian Association for the Defense of Athletes’ Rights – United Europe (ARADS-EU) publishes a video (you can activate English Captions) about the abuse of gymnasts in the national rhythmic gymnastics team, Ionuț Tudorică reported on profit.ro that the updated National Economy Activities Classification List (CAEN), effective January 1, 2025, includes prostitution – despite it being illegal in Romania.
The statements made by the athletes will stir emotions among those who watch the material. At the same time, how many of those who consider such behavior abusive in sports think that, in prostitution, the abuse women suffer are more and more severe compared to the abuse gymnasts face from their coaches?
In both cases, it could be argued that the athletes and the women who are abused are there voluntarily, and some even earn money. But who defends their dignity? In the case of the athletes, ARADS-EU produced the material with the aim of changing the current situation, while in the case of prostitution, abuse is, by definition, the status quo.
Let us read the gymnasts’ stories and think about the suffering of women in prostitution.
Denisa Mailat about the competition in Calais, France, 2015:
„On the first day, we had to relax, and on the second day, Luiza and I spent ten hours in the gym, under the assumption that we weren’t good enough, that we weren’t doing anything right.
There were moments when I said I could not go on, I would go to the bathroom and pray. Eventually, this conditioning session ended, during which we were beaten, pinched, and insulted.
Somehow, it was done subtly, so no one could see what was happening. We were told, ‘You’re stupid, tense your knees, you can’t do this.’
I also witnessed a beating with a stick on the head, when Mrs. Maria [the coach] hit Luiza [Ana Luiza Filiorianu] on the head.
After I won the bronze medal in rope, she asked me, ‘Did you see why I beat you? So, you could win this medal.'”
Ana Luiza Filiorianu:
„A stick across the shoulder, head, bun, and legs, nails digging into the flesh. Once, I was shoved against a wall, pushed out of the room. Psychological abuse was the issue, as I mentioned earlier. Insults about how I looked, being called fat every day, cow, and other things… Stupid, well, it didn’t bother me much when I was called stupid, people say such things when they’re angry… Peasant, it’s hard to get past that.
After a competition in 2019, the last competition before I injured myself, you can see in the footage that I get up very slowly due to the knee pain I was experiencing. I was told I was so fat I couldn’t get up.”
Alexandra Piscupescu about the first week at the national team:
„They gave us beef shank with mashed potatoes and soup. I could not eat the beef and only ate the mashed potatoes. They called me a soup girl, a poor peasant, saying in my village, we only eat potatoes and don’t know what meat is.”
Christina Drăgan:
„When I was 14, Mrs. Irina called me a b*tch.”
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