– I went from being someone they always called, to becoming an idiot that no one should listen to, says William Holmen Foss. He has been with the sports team for the past 20 years, and is best known as the leader of the popular Lyngdal Cup. Until Thursday last week, he was also a board member of the sports team, which is currently affected by a serious child abuse case. A male sports manager in his 30s has been charged with repeated physical abuse of children, and for having produced abuse material. The man has “essentially” pleaded guilty, says his defender Bjørge Usterud Tveito to news. Lyngdal is home to just over 10,000 inhabitants, according to Statistics Norway. In the last four years, the sports club in the municipality has been affected by two serious cases of child abuse. Photo: Per-Kåre Sandbakk / news Aerial photo “Completely absent” Lyngdal sports team is popular among children and young people in the village. Together they have just over 1,000 members. Foss has asked a number of critical questions to the management after the abuse case became known earlier this autumn. – The worst thing is that they don’t see the seriousness. How this case has been handled is a scandal. They should leave, Foss believes. He reacts particularly to the fact that the management did not give the coaches information about what to say to the children: “(…) the club is completely absent from the coaches in such an important matter”, he wrote in an email the day after the sports team had received the shocking news. Lyngdal sports team has developed many football talents. This summer they organized a folk party for the heather Julian Ryerson, who was to play in the Champion League final. Then it was William Foss who was interviewed together with general manager Karl Igland. Photo: Kjetil Samuelsen / news Courses and tutors news has spoken to the mother of one of the victims in the case, who also reacts to the way the management has handled the case. The general manager, chairman and sporting director of Lyngdal sports club have been made aware of the criticism against them. They did not want to comment on this. – For the sports team, this is a sad and demanding situation. We take the matter very seriously, general manager Karl Igland previously told news. In a board report from September, it appears that an information letter must have gone out to parents in the club. In the same minutes, it also appears that the club is planning more “Safe training” courses, and that from next year “own supervisors from the club will be involved”. The sports team has also received assistance from the Norwegian Sports Confederation. – We have a good collaboration where our experience is that this work is taken very seriously by the board of the sports team, says senior adviser Julie Karima Berg to news. General manager of Lyngdal sports team, Karl Igland. The picture was taken during the folk festival this summer. Photo: Kjetil Samuelsen / news Do you think they received warnings? Foss says that there are several adults in the sports team who reacted to the fact that the sports manager was alone with children. He also reacted to this himself. A few days before the sports director was charged by the police in August, Foss sent an e-mail to the chairman of the sports team, in which he asked which of the employees and those involved in the sports team had submitted a police certificate. news has read the email. Foss also believes that the management has received several notifications against the sports manager, without taking them on to the rest of the board. news has asked the management of the sports team about this. They have not answered the questions from news. Photo: Per-Kåre Sandbakk / news Aerial photo – Sleip way Two years ago, a football coach in the same sports team was convicted of child abuse. – Here the management should have taken self-criticism straight away, says Foss. Now that Foss is off the board, he feels that he can speak freely about what has happened behind the scenes after the abuse case became known. – I was treated as an enemy, he says. The most important thing for Foss has always been to speak out about what he believes to have been objectionable conditions. He did so at the latest last week, when together with another board member he sent a five-page letter to chairman Jan-Terje Frøyland. news has been in contact with Frøyland, who refers to the answers from general manager Karl Igland. Foss estimates that he has worked up to 20,000 volunteer hours for the sports team over the past 20 years. Now the fiery soul feels that they have turned their backs on him. Photo: Christina Cantero / news – Serious questions Foss feels that the critical questions have made him unpopular. The situation became extra difficult when Foss, together with the deputy chairman of the Lyngdal Cup committee, asked that next year they receive financial compensation for organizing. “The leader of the Lyngdal Cup is hereby exempted from the leadership position at his own request”, it is stated in a report that news has read. Foss reacts to the wording that it is “at your own discretion”. He thinks it’s wrong. news has also seen documentation of this. – It’s a sneaky way of getting me out, after I’ve asked too many “difficult questions”, concludes Foss. Managing director Karl Igland tells news that he cannot comment further on the matter. Hello! Do you have any tips in this matter? Or other matters you would like to advise on? Feel free to contact me by email 👇🏻 Published 04.11.2024, at 15.46
ttn-69
– Was treated as an enemy – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
