Key Biscayne residents are right to demand accountability on coach accused of abuse | Opinion
The residents of Key Biscayne are right to demand accountability from their local leaders regarding the disturbing sexual abuse allegations against former gymnastics coach Oscar Olea, who worked for years on and off in their village.
According to a Miami Herald investigation by reporters Ana Claudia Chacin and Clara-Sophia Daly, multiple young women have accused Olea of sexual abuse dating back more than a decade, including in appropriate behavior that took place while he was coaching at a village community center back in 2011.
At Tuesday night’s council meeting, concerned villagers responded by packing the chamber, calling leaders to task and demanding that a town hall be scheduled to address their questions and concerns. They want answers and should get them.
Olea has not been charged with any crime. Still, the allegations against him are serious — that he exploited his position of trust and authority over young girls taking gymnastics classes, sexually abused some of them or making inappropriate comments about their bodies to them.
That’s about the time a new investigation into Olea was opened by Key Biscayne police. The parents of two girls, ages 4 and 7, told the Herald and police that Olea touched their children and talked to them inappropriately during gymnastics lessons. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office did not file charges, citing inconsistent statements made by the girls as one of the reasons. Police took a fresh look at Olea after the Herald published its investigation.
Among Olea’s accusers: a woman now in her mid-20s who says she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Olea when she was 13 and taking private lessons with him, another who was allegedly raped when she was 17 and a third who said she Olea had sex with her when she was underage.
If true, his actions may have caused lasting harm to his victims. The case calls to mind the scores of Olympic female gymnasts who USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar sexually abused. Silence allowed that abuse to continue for years. Nassar was finally convicted in 2018 and sentenced to as long as 125 years in prison after pleading guilty to molesting 10 girls.
By demanding a town hall or some type of open forum to address this situation, the residents of Key Biscayne have shown they do not intend to allow such serious questions to remain unanswered — as has been the case so far in the village. Good for them for speaking out.
This community wants — and deserves — answers about how thoroughly police investigated past allegations against Olea and why he was allowed to continue to interact freely with girls while he worked under the perceived auspices of the village.
Residents need to fully understand what Key Biscayne Police investigated related to Olea and whether it was sufficient.
“These alleged crimes are very complex... but thoroughly investigated,” Police Chief Francis Sousa told the 50 or so residents who attended the council meeting.
The council was wise to agree to a public forum to discuss this disturbing case. Parents needed to air their concerns. Now, the council must go back and ensure thorough investigations were conducted into both the original and latest allegations, and reassess whether the village’s oversight of vendors in the village is adequate.
Village leaders owe their community accountability and transparency. By demanding accountability in this sad situation, they will be sending an important message about children and young women: They matter.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this editorial mentioned a comment during the council meeting about an FBI investigation into sexual misconduct with underage children on Key Biscayne. That case is separate, relating to another individual, not Oscar Olea.
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