Who Is Liable for Athlete Abuse? Institutional Responsibility for Safeguarding Failures in Indonesian Sports Organizations

Abstract

Abuse within sporting institutions is often addressed as individual misconduct, yet athlete vulnerability may also result from institutional failures to prevent, detect, or respond to abusive behavior. Sports organizations may possess significant authority over athletes' careers, training environments, contracts, and opportunities, creating structural power imbalances that can facilitate abuse. This article examines the extent to which Indonesian sports organizations should bear legal responsibility for safeguarding failures resulting in athlete abuse. Employing normative legal research, the study analyzes institutional liability, organizational governance, duty of care, athlete protection, and relevant principles of sports law. The research argues that institutional responsibility should arise where organizations fail to establish reasonable preventive measures, ignore credible complaints, inadequately supervise personnel, or retaliate against reporting athletes. Such responsibility should be distinguished from the individual criminal or disciplinary liability of perpetrators. The article proposes a layered accountability model incorporating individual misconduct, supervisory negligence, governance failure, and organizational responsibility. It further recommends mandatory safeguarding policies, independent complaint mechanisms, documented risk assessments, and transparent disciplinary procedures. Establishing institutional accountability would prevent sports organizations from treating abuse solely as an individual problem and would encourage systemic prevention. Such a framework is necessary to strengthen athlete protection and promote a culture of integrity within Indonesian sports governance.