Paralympic Gold medalist Robert Griswold accused of raping and torturing younger disabled teammate
WARNING: This article contains details of incidents of sexual assault that some readers may find traumatic. Discretion is advised
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO: Paralympic gold medalist Robert Griswold, 25, has been accused of "maliciously targeting, grooming, and sexually abusing" a younger and intellectually disabled teammate, in a civil lawsuit filed in Colorado on Friday, November 11.
Parker Egbert, 19, who has autism and suffered from developmental delay and intellectual disability his entire life, said in his lawsuit that his disability made him “significantly more vulnerable to abuse.” It was during the Tokyo Paralympic Games and at the US Olympic & Paralympic Training Center (OPTC) in Colorado Springs that Egbert was "being violently and repeatedly sexually assaulted and harassed by his teammate, Defendant Robert Griswold," the lawsuit stated, as per Daily Mail.
READ MORE
Autistic student, 12, 'lured to park and beaten unconscious' by group of minors who recorded assault
Paralympic gold medalist swimmer Robert Griswold accused of raping and abusing teammate https://t.co/EXqB0ODf9I via @theoldreader
— nde (@5472_nde) November 13, 2022
The lawsuit also names the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the US Center for SafeSport, an independent non-profit organization committed to ending abuse and harassment against athletes, as defendants along with Griswold because of their failure to uphold their duties and "warn, supervise and/or protect" Egbert.
Griswold, who has born with cerebral palsy, received a temporary suspension on August 23, due to "allegations of misconduct," according to CNN.
It was at the Paralympic trials in June 2021, when the Griswold made several efforts to befriend Egbert by ensuring he was "seated next to him on plane and bus rides and was given prolonged unsupervised access" during the games. They also shared the same room in Olympic Village, which was where the abuse continued and further intensified, as reported by DailyMail. The lawsuit alleged that Egbert, who has the mental capacity of a five-year-old, was also referred to as his "little buddy" by the alleged sexual predator.
The lawsuit said that Egbert refused to take showers because that was where the 25-year-old swimmer would "rape and sexually assault" him. Egbert's only escape was writing stories, one of which was titled 'Spookley and the Hurricane.' The story revolved around a group of friends who defeat a powerful Hurricane called 'Hurricane Robert', in which the hurricane is a monster, as per Daily Mail.
As per the Washington Post, the lawsuit further sated, “On at least one occasion, Griswold raped Plaintiff so viciously that Plaintiff lost bowel control. To this day Plaintiff continues to suffer from persistent and excruciating rectal pain, for which surgery and continuing medical attention is required."
Shockingly, Egbert was reportedly not the only one who was preyed upon by Griswold, who has won two gold medals in Tokyo 2020, as per the lawsuit. "Griswold used his status in the Olympic and Paralympic Swimming community to carry out a systematic pattern of abuse, whereby he would seek out and groom vulnerable athletes, specifically minor and disabled Paralympic athletes living and training at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Center located in Colorado," the lawsuit stated.
Due to the repeated assault, Egbert required surgery. Moreover, he was unable to inform anyone about the harm because of Griswold's constant warnings. The lawsuit also alleged that USOPC and SafeSport were aware of "credible allegations," and "yet conspired to cover up such allegations," because of Griswold's success in the sport. Egbert's parents accused the USOPC for not responding to the issue when the matter was brought to them.
Egbert reportedly made the hard decision of leaving his lifelong dream of being a Paralympic swimmer because of Griswold's violent acts, as per CNN. "This case is a horrific tragedy, where a young man who defied all odds to become a world-class Paralympic swimmer had his life utterly shattered by rape and abuse when he was paired with a team member who was a violent sexual predator," the lawsuit read, as reported by DailyMail.