Ex-Aussie swim coach to stand trial on abuse charges

SYDNEY: Prominent former Australian swimming coach Scott Volkers was committed to stand trial on Friday for a host of historical child sex offences.

The ex-national women’s coach is accused of indecently dealing with two girls under the age of 16, with the five offences allegedly occurring in Brisbane between 1984 and 1988, according to broadcaster ABC.

He entered no plea at the Brisbane Magistrates Court and a date has yet to be set for his trial. Volkers was originally charged in 2002 but the case was dropped six months later. Queensland’s child abuse and sexual crime group decided to re-prosecute the case following Australia’s recent Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse.

That inquiry, which investigated allegations of widespread paedophilia, mostly in the church, also heard about claims involving swimming coaches, including Volkers. He was employed by Swimming Australia and Swimming Queensland until 2010 before moving to South America where he coached a top-flight swim club in Brazil.Volkers was on the Brazilian national team’s coaching roster for the 2016 Olympics in Rio but was ultimately prevented from attending.