Boxer Imane Khelif Filed a Legal Complaint in France for Alleged Cyber Harassment By Richard Miller (Somewhere in Europe)

Here is the aftermath of the public controversy over the XY boxers in the women's boxing of the Paris Olympics. One of the trans women boxers has filed a legal complaint in France for alleged cyber harassment. And the complaint is targeting well known public figures who described the boxer as a "man," for having XY chromosomes. Among the most vocal critics were Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and author J. K. Rowling. Some of her hard-hitting comments at the time are quoted below. The issue was inflamed by the brutal beating Italy's Angela Carini received, forcing her to pull out, as she had never been punched so hard.

Thus, it is good that the issue gets to court, to keep public attention to the broader issue, even though appearing in a French court could be a toss of the dice.

https://www.newsweek.com/jk-rowling-imane-khelif-donald-trump-elon-musk-lawsuit-1940241

"Author J.K. Rowling has fallen silent on her usually busy X (formerly Twitter) feed, after Olympic gold medallist boxer Imane Khelif filed a legal complaint in France for alleged cyber harassment over statements regarding her gender.

On August 9, lawyers for Khelif filed a lawsuit with a special unit of the public prosecutor's office in Paris, stemming from false statements that spread online about her gender after the Algerian boxer defeated Italy's Angela Carini in her first fight of the 2024 Olympic Games. Carini pulled out 46 seconds into the bout and told reporters afterwards that she had "never felt a punch like this."

The fight sparked questions about Khelif's gender. Last year boxer was blocked from competing in the International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships after failing an unspecified sex-verification test. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has cast doubt on the validity on the test, which also disqualified Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting from competing in the 2023 World Championship.

Khelif claimed gold in the women's welterweight Olympic division on August 9, winning Algeria's first medal in women's boxing. Lin won gold in the women's flyweight division the following day.

Harry Potter author Rowling—who has faced backlash over her comments about transgender people for a number of years—was among those who slammed Khelif's inclusion in the Olympics, incorrectly referring to the boxer as a "man."

"Watch this (whole thread), then explain why you're OK with a man beating a woman in public for your entertainment," Rowling wrote on X. "This isn't sport. From the bullying cheat in red all the way up to the organizers who allowed this to happen, this is men revelling in their power over women."

In another post, Rowling directed criticism at a video clip showing Kirsty Burrows, head of the Safe Sport Unit at the IOC, speaking about how the organization was offering "the most comprehensive package of mental health and safeguarding initiatives" ever at a sporting event.

"A young female boxer has just had everything she's worked and trained for snatched away because you allowed a male to get in the ring with her," Rowling responded. "You're a disgrace, your 'safeguarding' is a joke and #Paris24 will be forever tarnished by the brutal injustice done to Carini." 

 

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Wednesday, 16 October 2024

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