Manitoba government denies NDP bill for better protections against sexual predators in youth sports

The NDP’s bill to better protect young athletes against sexual predators was denied by the Manitoba government Thursday morning.

This comes after local high school football coach Kelsey McKay was arrested after numerous allegations of sexual assault on some of his former players.

“The stories of abuse in sport are devastating, but we are not powerless,” said Adrien Sala, NDP MLA for St. James.

“There are clear steps we can take to protect our children. As legislators we have a responsibility to create better policies that will prevent abuse and reduce stigma for survivors.”

According to a release from the NDP, the bill would’ve called for a new policy to prevent coaches from having student athletes in their homes.

A dedicated text line for kids to report any instances of assault was also suggested, along with funds to promote the service.

“As a father, nothing is more important to me than the safety of my kids and I know every parent in our province feels the same,” said Jamie Moses, MLA for St. Vital.

“The fact is, the policies we have in place right now in Manitoba are not enough to protect our children from potential abuse and this needs to change immediately. We have to do better.”

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