FIFA Hands Haiti FA President Yves Jean-Bart Life Ban Over Sexual Abuse

FIFA has banned the president of the Haiti Football Federation, Yves Jean-Bart, from all football-related activities.

Jean-Bart was also fined him 1m Swiss francs (£827,000) after its ethics committee found him guilty of having abused his position and sexually harassed and abused various female players, including minors.

“Dadou”, as he is fondly called, was first accused of coercing several players at the Centre Technique National in Croix-des-Bouquets into having sex with him in an article in the Guardian in April, after allegations were made by numerous sources involved with the centre, including alleged victims and their families.

FIFA provisionally suspended the 73-year-old for 90 days in May before extending his ban for another 90 days in August as the ethics committee continued its investigation.

That was due to expire on Sunday but a statement on Friday said that Jean-Bart – the FHF president since 2000 – had been found to have violated Fifa’s code of ethics.

“The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has found Yves Jean-Bart, the President of the Haitian Football Association (FHF) and former Fifa standing committee member, guilty of having abused his position and sexually harassed and abused various female players, including minors, in violation of the Fifa Code of Ethics,” read the statement.

“The aforementioned ethics proceedings are part of an extensive investigation concerning Mr Jean-Bart, as well as other officials within the FHF, who were identified as having allegedly been involved (as principals, accomplices or instigators) in acts of systematic sexual abuse against female football players between 2014 and 2020. The proceedings are still pending with respect to other FHF officials.

“In its decision, the adjudicatory chamber found that Mr Jean-Bart had breached art. 23 (Protection of physical and mental integrity) and art. 25 (Abuse of position) of the Fifa Code of Ethics and sanctioned him with a life ban from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level. In addition, a fine in the amount of CHF 1,000,000 has been imposed on Mr Jean-Bart.”

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On Thursday Jean-Bart was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Haitian justice system and his spokesman said that the former president intends to appeal against Fifa’s decision to the court of arbitration for sport.

This post was first published on GoalBall.