A former pairs partner of John Coughlin said in a Facebook post that the late figure skater “sexually abused” her for two years.
Replying to a post in support of Coughlin, who committed suicide Jan. 18, Bridget Namiotka wrote:
“I’m sorry but John hurt at least 10 people including me. He sexually abused me for 2 years. Nobody innocent hangs themselves,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
“Think about the victims when you’re speaking up for what he did to at least 10 girls,” the skater added.
Namiotka teamed up with Coughlin in 2004 when she was 14, spending three full seasons with the skater before splitting up in 2007.
In 2006, the couple won silver medals at the junior national championship.
SafeSport, an independent nonprofit organization which describes its goals as battling against “all forms of abuse in sport,” suspended Coughlin from figure skating after it launched investigations into sexual abuse allegations brought against him.
Coughlin, a two-time U.S. pairs champion with two other partners, hanged himself in his father’s Kansas City home one day after he received an interim suspension from the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
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