October 18, 2013
ESPN E:60 Examines Sexual Abuse of Disabled Young Athletes
ESPN’s award-winning newsmagazine program E:60 examines sexual abuse of disabled young athletes in the episode airing Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
She is 17 years old. A dedicated Special Olympian who loves basketball more than anything else. And last March, while competing in a tournament, she says she was raped by the very man who was supposed to be protecting her: her coach.
Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. According to experts, children with disabilities are three times more likely than children without them to be victims of sexual abuse. And when the disability is mental rather than physical – meaning the disability is not immediately visible -the cases are even harder to address or to adjudicate. Victims may appear to be of age physically even though their mental development does not allow them to give consent. In addition, in many states the laws addressing sexual attacks on the mentally disabled are vague, inadequate and open to broad interpretation. The result is a growing number of cases in which the most vulnerable are abused and justice is not served.
Jeremy Schaap uncovers this silent epidemic in an E:60 investigation, including the first on-camera interview with a victim, now 21, who was sexually assaulted by her coach when she was 16.
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In its seventh season, E:60 continues to innovate long-form storytelling, enterprise reporting and production technique. Highlights can be found here from E:60’s first six years and current season.
Click HERE for a preview clip of the report.
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Media contact: andy.hall@espn.com or (386) 492-2246
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