Toni Minichiello’s former athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill admits sexual misconduct claims are ‘upsetting’

Toni Minichiello’s former athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill has broken her silence on his sexual misconduct allegations – admitting she is ‘shocked and upset’.

Minichiello is facing sexual misconduct charges over alleged incidents across 15 years, including ‘dry-humping’ athletes, and has been handed a life ban by UK Athletics. He denies the charges.

Ennis-Hill posted on Instagram on Tuesday night, saying: ‘It is shocking and upsetting.

Former Olympian Louise Hazel has claimed his behaviour ‘worsened’ during London 2012 

‘The allegations are awful and although I was never on the receiving end of any sexual physical behaviour, any such inappropriate behaviour or language has no place in any coaching or work environment.

‘Everyone should feel safe from any form of physical or mental abuse.’

Meanwhile, Olympic heptathlete Louise Hazel claimed the coach’s behaviour worsened as his success with Ennis-Hill grew.

The 36-year-old told ITV: ‘The things that I complained about were back in 2007, and they went unhandled. As Toni grew in popularity and success, obviously his affiliation with coaching Jessica, his abuse of power got worse.

‘This judgment sends the message to coaches that this will no longer be the way we operate. We won’t allow our power to be taken away any longer.’

Ennis-Hill revealed a statement saying how she had never been abused by her former coach

Toni Minichiello – the coach of London 2012 icon Jessica Ennis-Hill – is handed a LIFE BAN after sustained ‘inappropriate sexual conduct’ over 15 years, including ‘dry-humping’ athletes and calling his penis his ‘spicy Italian sausage’ 

BY RIATH AL-SAMARRAI  

The coach who led Jessica Ennis-Hill to London 2012 glory, Toni Minichiello, has been banned for life after it was ruled he ‘engaged in sexually physical behaviour’ including ‘unwanted touching’ with athletes.

On the back of a lengthy investigation into complaints from multiple female athletes, Minichiello was found by a panel to have committed a ‘large number of breaches’ of his coaching licence over a 15-year period.

He was suspended in May 2021 and on Tuesday it was announced by UK Athletics that Minichiello will not be permitted to hold a licence in ‘perpetuity’.

In a strongly-worded response, Minichiello said he has ‘not behaved inappropriately towards any of my athletes’ and alleged he did not receive a ‘fair hearing’. He also raised the possibility of ‘collusion’ between witnesses.

His retort came after UKA published their startling findings against the 56-year-old, who coached Ennis-Hill to become a world-beater from the age of 13. UKA wrote that Minichiello:

• ‘Made inappropriate sexual references and gestures to athletes.’
• ‘Failed to respect the athletes right to a private life by making intrusive enquiries and personal comments about their personal lives.’
• ‘Engaged in sexually physical behaviour, namely inappropriate and unwanted touching of athletes to whom he owed a duty of care.’ That included touching two athletes on the breast and ‘dry humping’ three.
• ‘Engaged in inappropriate and sometimes aggressive behaviour, bullying and emotional abuse.’

Minichiello, named Coach of the Year at the 2012 UK Coaching Awards, had recently allowed his licence to expire, meaning UKA have no power to sanction or suspend him.

However, in what is effectively a lifetime ban, they have said in a statement they will ‘not entertain any future application’ by him.

Toni Minichiello, has been banned for life after it was ruled he ‘engaged in sexually physical behaviour’

UKA have disclosed anonymised details of a number of the proven charges, which included ‘mimicking sexual activity (‘Dry Humping’) – each of A2, A3, and A9 – from behind; Touching A3’s breasts; Commenting on and touching A1’s breasts’.

They also say he repeatedly mimicked oral sex, while on one occasion he was allegedly heard ‘in the presence and hearing of other athletes commenting to A5 that if she did not continue training, she could ‘suck my ****’.’

He was found to have ‘frequently’ referred to his penis to athletes as his ‘spicy Italian sausage’, while under the banner of ‘inappropriate and sometimes aggressive behaviour’ Minichiello is said to have instructed ‘A2 to sit in a corner with a cone on her head as a Dunce’s cap’.

On the charge of intrusive enquiries about athletes’ private lives, the statement points to: ‘Asking A3 if she had ever had sex while doing weights, and ‘Does your boyfriend ever come and stick one in you?”

Minichiello has long been an outspoken critic of UKA, with whom he has clashed multiple times in his role as one of the most successful coaches in the country, and then as an influential figure on their members’ council.

The investigation into complaints against him came amid a safeguarding drive by the former UKA CEO Joanna Coates.

The UKA statement added: ‘UKA has considered the matter and decided that these findings are of the utmost seriousness. They amount to a large number of breaches of the UKA Coach Licence Terms over a 15 year period.

‘They constitute gross breaches of trust by Mr Minichiello which have had severe consequences for the mental health and mental wellbeing of the athletes under his charge.

‘It is noted that during the process of these disciplinary matters, Mr Minichiello’s coaching licence expired and therefore cannot be suspended/subject to a sanction. Therefore, UKA has decided that it will not entertain any future application made by Mr Minichiello for a UKA Coach Licence in perpetuity.

‘The issuance of a UKA licence to a coach is essentially a representation on behalf of UKA that the coach in question can be trusted with the athletes under his charge. UKA is firmly of the view that there will never be a time in the future at which it would be appropriate to grant that assurance and issue such a licence.

‘Should Mr Minichiello wish to apply for a Coach Licence in the future, the matter will be ultimately be subject to an appeal before the relevant body under UKA Rules.’ It is understood that Ennis-Hill played no part in the process. Her representative has been contacted by Sportsmail for comment.

Minichiello has slammed the process and raised the question of why 80 witnesses he put forward to UKA in his defence were ‘declined’. He also claims one of the ‘most serious’ incidents alleged against him happened when he was in a different country to the complainant.

In a statement, he said: ‘I cannot fully express my disappointment with this decision and with UK Athletics’ unfair handling of this process. I strongly deny all the charges made against me.

‘I have been a coach for over 30 years and while I have been robust and demanding, I have not behaved inappropriately towards any of my athletes as very many of them would confirm. From the beginning, I cooperated with UK Athletics and the appointed independent investigator.

‘Unfortunately, the investigation was one-sided. For example, I offered to provide UK Athletics with the names and contact details of 80-witnesses, including my then current training group. UK Athletics declined the list of those witnesses.

Ennis-Hill was not one of the multiple female athletes who made complaints against him in the lengthy investigation

‘While repeatedly requesting details as to how the investigation was being conducted, this was only provided by UK Athletics in a witness statement shortly before the hearing of this matter, over a year after my provisional suspension, raising serious questions regarding my ability to gain a fair hearing.

‘Similarly, the tribunal failed to engage properly with the available evidence. For example, one of the most serious allegations was said to have taken place when I was, as a matter of fact, in a different country to the person making the allegations. The tribunal refused to admit my evidence on this point and found against me as a result.

‘There were many instances of witnesses providing suspiciously similar answers to questions, including demonstrably incorrect ones, suggestive of collusion; again, the tribunal failed to appropriately address their minds to the important issue of collusion which was evident throughout significant parts of the evidence.

‘There were also instances of witnesses breaching confidentiality to speak to each other during the course of the investigation, which the tribunal failed to address. It is very important that UK Athletics respond quickly and seriously to serious allegations of misconduct, especially when those allegations are made by young people.

Minichiello coached Ennis-Hill to become a world-beater from the age of 13

‘However, those investigations and tribunals need to be conducted carefully, with due process and fairly. I do not believe that I have been treated fairly in this instance.

‘I would like to show my appreciation to the witnesses who came forward to support me, and also give my appreciation and complete understanding to the witnesses who wished to come forward to support me but were unable to do so being concerned by the possibility of negative repercussions for their future careers.’

Ennis-Hill later revealed a statement on Instagram commenting on the ‘awful’ allegations but insisted she was never on the ‘receiving end of such behaviour’.

She said: ‘Reading the news today about my former coach Toni Minichiello, it is both shocking and upsetting.

‘The allegations are awful and although I was never on the receiving end of any sexual physical behaviour, any such inappropriate behaviour or language has no place in any coaching or work environment.

‘Everyone should feel safe from any form of physical or mental abuse.’   

The investigation into complaints against him came amid a safeguarding drive by the former UKA CEO Joanna Coates