TORONTO – Former NHLer Sheldon Kennedy appeared before a U.S. Senate panel Tuesday, urging lawmakers to “empower” anyone who suspects a child is being abused to speak up.
Kennedy, 42, told the panel that sex offenders and pedophiles count on the fact that many people have a hard time believing that trusted adults, such as coaches, teachers and priests, would ever sexually abuse children.
“Empower the bystanders and you’ll be taking an important first step in breaking the silence on child abuse,” said Kennedy.
Kennedy’s plea comes amid a continuing scandal at Penn State University, where authorities have accused a number of high-ranking officials of knowing young boys were being abused by an assistant coach, yet did nothing to notify the authorities.
Kennedy, a Brandon, MB, native has been a spokesperson against child abuse at the hand of trusted adults since coming forward about his experiences as a young hockey player in Canada.
In 1986, Kennedy was traded to the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos, where Graham James was head coach and general manager.
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In 1996, Kennedy came forward and announced publicly that he had suffered sexual abuse spanning ten years at the hands of his junior hockey coach. James was charged with sexual abuse in November 1996.
James pleaded guilty in January 1997 to 350 counts of sexual abuse against two hockey players, including Kennedy. James was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison – and quietly pardoned in 2007.
Kennedy’s decision to go public with his story helped bring to light years and years of abuse, that although many had a “gut feeling” that something was wrong, no one got involved.
“In my case, my abuser was International Hockey Man of the Year,” said Kennedy in Washington. “In Canada, that gave him almost God-like status…The kids – and often their parents too – looked up to him as a hero.”
In 2006, Kennedy released his book, Why I Didn’t Say Anything: The Sheldon Kennedy Story, which details the years of abuse suffered at the hands of his hockey coach.
Last week, James pleaded guilty to new allegations of sexual abuse from two more of his former players, including former NHL great Theo Fleury.
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With files from The Associated Press
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