Olympic judo coach faces sexual abuse allegations

A major scandal is unfolding in Slovenian judo as Marjan Fabjan, one of the nation's most celebrated coaches and the architect behind multiple Olympic medals, is now the subject of a police investigation after several former female judokas have accused him of physical, psychological and sexual abuse.

The allegations, first reported in detail by the newspaper Dnevnik, paint a disturbing picture of the training at Fabjan's highly successful Sankaku Judo Club. Former judokas claim that physical abuse, including slaps, kicks, and being struck with a bamboo stick, was part of the training, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

The most severe accusation details an incident where a judoka, after sustaining an injury, was allegedly summoned to Fabjan's room. She claims that under the pretext of an examination, the coach, draped only in a towel, made her undress and touched her genitals, stopping only when she cried out in pain.

While Dnevnik details the testimony of a single unnamed judoka, it says several have now decided to report Fabjan to the police after years of wavering in fear. The paper says that of these, allegedly at least two had been victims of long-term sexual abuse.

"For many years, we hoped that this matter would eventually come to light, but we hesitated, fearing the consequences due to the coach's standing in society and his international connections. It was deeply uncomfortable. It never seemed to be the right time to come forward and speak out about the abuse we endured. After our careers ended, we started families, got married, had children... We tried to forget the cruelties that happened to us," Dnevnik quotes the unnamed former athlete as saying.

The Celje Police Administration has confirmed it has received a report and is conducting an investigation into the matter.

"These are sensitive matters and it is probably necessary to interview more people, so it can take longer," a police spokesperson told the Slovenian Press Agency (STA).

In response to an inquiry, the Slovenian Judo Federation confirmed it was aware of the investigation. It said it had a policy of "zero tolerance towards any form of inappropriate conduct."

While it will not comment further until the legal process is concluded, the federation's president Bogdan Gabrovec said that "if the accusations are true, this is of course very bad for judo."

Fabjan has a long-standing reputation for his unconventional and tough training methods and stands by them, he however expressed profound shock at the most serious claims for the STA.

"I strongly reject any kind of sexual violence and sexual abuse," Fabjan told the STA.

He did, however, acknowledge that over his many years in the sport, relationships had formed.

"There were some crushes and partnerships. My current partner is also a former judoka," he stated.

Fabjan defended his rigorous coaching style as a necessary ingredient for success, holding up the achievements of his athletes - Lucija Polavder, Tina Trstenjak, Ana Velenšek, and Urška Žolnir, who together won six Olympic medals between 2004 and 2021 - as proof of his methods' efficacy.

"Judo for me is not a hobby. All the words spoken and everything we did was related to the result," he said, rejecting the notion that he had ever gone too far.

He suggests the allegations are tied to internal conflicts within the judo federation and that their timing, just before major youth championships, is suspicious.

"I know who is persuading the competitors, but I won't say yet."