President of Haiti’s football federation was suspended for 90 days pending an investigation into a allegations as he sexually abused teenage girls at the national training center.
Yves Jean-Bart, 73, categorically denies accusations that he raped several young female footballers at a training facility outside Port-au-Prince throughout the past five years.
“In accordance with articles 84 and 85 of the FIFA Code of Ethics, the investigatory chamber of the independent ethics panel has provisionally banned Mr. Yves Jean-Bart, President of the Haitian Football Federation (FHF), from all football-related activities at both national and international levels, for a period of 90 days,” FIFA said Monday, during a statement.
“This sanction has been imposed in reference to ongoing investigations concerning Mr Jean-Bart. Mr Jean-Bart was notified of the choice today. The provisional sanction comes into force immediately.”
Haitian police has launched a search into the allegations, first revealed late last month, and a judge has already summoned several federation employees to answer questions.
According to young women quoted in a piece of writing published by The Guardian in late April, Jean-Bart raped multiple underage players over the years.
Saying that they had been pressured to stay silent, the alleged victims told the newspaper on condition of anonymity that a minimum of two underage players had to urge abortions after Jean-Bart assaulted them.
“We think that this is often an honest decision by FIFA because we realized that Yves Jean-Bart and his cartel can overshadow any judicial investigation,” said Marie-Rosy Auguste Ducena of the National Network for the Defence of Human Rights (RNDDH).
