he was found guilty of 39 episodes of violence

The man was found guilty of dozens of cases of violence against six female athletes

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Former swimming coach Richard “Dick” Kane, 78, who was found guilty in late August of 39 cases of rape and sexual violence against six athletes who were his wards, died in an Australian hospital.

Dick (short for Richard) Kane was the head coach at Carss Park Pool in Sydney for 40 years. informs BBC.

The man trained with several Olympic medalists and world champions in swimming, including Michelle Ford, Janelle Alford and Stacey Gartrell. He was also inducted into the Australian Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.

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Kane retired in 2018, and four years later he was arrested by Australian law enforcement on allegations of mass child sexual abuse.

The former coach was suffering from lung and throat cancer in the terminal stage and was in palliative medical institution. Therefore, he was exempted from participating in court sessions, which took place in the order of a special hearing with the participation of one judge.

The investigation revealed that Dick Kane was involved in 39 cases of rape and sexual abuse of children who trained under him in the 1970s and 80s. The youngest victim was only 10 years old at the time of the crime.

Judge Paul McGuire found that the former coach was interested in pre-pubescent and pubescent girls, writes The Guardian.

The man used the children’s fear of his authority to his advantage. According to the judge, the attacker abused hopes for sporting achievements in swimming.

The victims were assaulted at the Carss Park pool, Dick Kane’s house and car.

Instead, Kane’s attorneys questioned the credibility of the witness and victim statements because they related to events 50 years ago.

Several victims said that they saw alcohol and pornography in the coach’s house. They also claimed that Dick Kane had a horse.

One of the former athletes stated during her testimony that her hands were tied during the act of violence, and “a used condom was lying next to the bed.”

Prosecutors argued that the victims’ accounts were “so detailed and convincing” that they had to be true.

Judge Paul McGuire found all the evidence to be “honest and reliable”.

“She wouldn’t have put herself, her family and her husband through this if what she was saying was a lie.”he said.

On December 6, 2024, the judge was expected to make a final decision in the case and sentence the child abuser.

Child rights activist Hattie Johnson said she was disappointed that the decades-long wait for a verdict was set to drag on for months. informs ABC News.

“It’s just a tragedy that it’s taken so long to get to this point in the trial.”– said Getty Johnston about the recognition of the coach guilty of child abuse.

However, Kane died before his conviction.

We will remind, in the Philippines continued opposition between law enforcement officers and supporters of the sect leader, who is accused of sex trafficking and sexual violence, including against children.