It is shocking and inconsolably sad that adults decided to close their ears and let the bullying of children continue, writes journalist Jussi Paasi.
– Putin’s whores! Putin’s whores!
And on top of that even worse insults and personal insults.
The shouts were aimed at minors. And no one intervened.
No one.
In the ice hockey game between Turku Palloseura and Helsinki Jokeri under 16 years of age, a group of spectators were allowed to terrorize the players of the Helsinki team with their screams.
I received a video clip of the match played on Saturday sent by a puck parent, which was filmed in that game in the stands of Impivaara hall in Turku. I couldn’t believe my ears. The above-mentioned low-style swearing echoed so loudly that no one in the hall could avoid hearing it. The bumping was still allowed to continue throughout the game.
According to those who were there, the group of troublemakers were also allowed to roam freely near the teams’ locker rooms.
It is incomprehensible, shocking and inconsolably sad that adults chose to turn a blind eye and allow the bullying of children to continue for hours. Mental violence was allowed to run rampant freely.
The game should have been stopped immediately when the first insults came to light. It could have been done by the referees or the coaches of the teams. This is how the junior coach of Lahti Pelicans acted recently, when a player of his team was insulted in the rink.
Were the TPS and Joker coaches afraid of the Ice Hockey Association’s sanctions? The Pelicans coach was fined and suspended after he addressed racism.
The Ice Hockey Federation showed by its actions then that it is not interested in children’s tears.
The announcer of the junior match between TPS and the Jokers was the only one who even tried to restrain the hooligans. But calls to clean up language fell on deaf ears.
The events once again tell a sad story about the fact that the Ice Hockey Federation and the clubs under it do not have effective means – or sufficient desire – to intervene in ugly grievances and outrageous behavior. It’s just useless chatter, the famous ethical instructions that can be repeated even after this incident and assure that “we take such things seriously”.
Just words. No actions.
To the referees of the match in question, to the incompetent nose men of the Ice Hockey League, and to all of you who could have intervened in raw mental violence when you came across it (not to mention the right kind of preventive action), I want to say just one word.
Shame on you.
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