South Korea’s double Olympic short track gold medalist Shim Suk-hee has accused her former coach — already convicted and jailed for repeatedly beating her over many years — of sexual assault, her lawyer said Wednesday. In response to Shim’s accusations, South Korean authorities on Wednesday promised to strengthen sporting penalties for sexual offenders. Lifetime sport bans — currently applied to offenders convicted of rape or sexual assault — will be extended to those who commit sexual harassment, said vice sports minister Roh Tae-kang. Cho has admitted to beating athletes “to improve their performance”, but denies the sexual assault accusation, according to South Korean broadcaster SBS. A ruling in the assault appeal is expected on January 14.

Source: Egypt Independent January 09, 2019 09:45 UTC