
Swimming coach Scott Volkers coached Julie Gilbert from about 1982 to 1986. Ms Gilbert told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that between the ages of 13 and 14 she was sexually assaulted by Volkers on a number of occasions. She gave evidence of the abuse occurring in a massage room and on another occasion in a caravan where Volkers lived. Two other women, Kylie Rogers and Simone Boyce, told similar stories.
Despite being removed from the Swimming Queensland Hall of Fame and being refused accreditation by Swimming Australia, Scott Volkers continues to coach swimming in Brazil.
Julie Gilbert writes exclusively for Mamamia about how she found the strength to tell her story and the faith she has that child sexual abusers will be brought to justice…
My story, like most victims of child sexual assault is not a pleasant one. It’s a story that requires you to disclose in detail the humiliating acts done to you as a child, using language that is often uncomfortable and embarrassing.
