Paralympic swimming champion Robert Griswold has been accused of raping and abusing one of his teammates, according to a civil lawsuit.
Griswold, who won two gold medals for the United States at the Tokyo Paralympics last year, is alleged to have “maliciously targeted” Parker Egbert during those Games and at the US Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado.
Griswold, 25, received a temporary suspension from the US Center for SafeSport in August because of “allegations of misconduct”. Furthermore, he was placed on a database designed to prevent abuse and encourage education.
Now, a lawsuit has said Griswold abused Egbert, 19, who has suffered from developmental delay and intellectual disability for his entire life. According to the lawsuit, Egbert’s disability makes him “significantly more vulnerable to abuse” and means the teenager “currently has the mental capacity of a five-year-old”.
“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 said.
The Independent has reached out to Griswold for comment.
Meanwhile, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee told CNN on Saturday: “The allegations brought forth by the complaint filed today are extremely concerning and we take them very seriously.
“We’ve made the decision to place two staff members on administrative leave and have also stopped the work of several contractors with U.S. Paralympics Swimming. We’re also continuing our investigation of the allegations to help us determine the facts, and we are committed to taking appropriate action.”
Griswold, who was born with cerebral palsy, holds world records in numerous swimming disciplines and is a multiple-time world champion.
