Dawn Fraser wants Volkers banned from coaching

Olympian Dawn Fraser says she's not proud to be Australian as she watches the royal commission into child sexual abuse allegations into the sport for which she is so famous.

dawn_fraser_aap.jpg

(File: AAP)

"I've made mistakes in my life but it was never involving young children," the former swimming champion told Fairfax Radio Network on Wednesday morning.
 
"Thank goodness this royal commission has taken place," she said.
 
The commission is examining how Swimming Australia and the Queensland Academy of Sport dealt with allegations of child sex abuse against Scott Volkers in 2002.

The charges were dropped in 2003.

But Fraser, 76, says Mr Volkers should never be able to coach or work with children anywhere in Australia, or the world again.

He is now coaching in Brazil, trying to get a blue card in Queensland, and reportedly trying to bring a young swimmer back to Australia, said Fraser.
 
Fraser said anyone who abused young people should be called to account.

"Anyone that does those sort of things to young people are absolutely disgusting and they should pay for it," said the three-time gold medallist.

Fraser said her coach of 15 years when she was a teenager would massage her shoulders and send her to the sauna to have a proper massage with a professional.

"But not once did I have a masseur that looked after my body ever do anything like that, that these girls have experienced," she said.

Four women made seven allegations against Mr Volkers in 2002, accusing him of sexually abusing them when they were teenagers in the 1980s and 1990s.


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Source: AAP


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