FIFA imposes lifetime ban on former Haiti head of referees for sexual harassment

Women's Under-20 national team supervisor Nella Joseph was also given a 10-year ban in May as part of the investigation.

Published : Jul 23, 2021 21:45 IST

Grant, a former international referee, was provisionally suspended from all football-related activities in February - a ban which was extended in June - pending the investigation into his conduct.

The former Head of Referees at Haiti's football federation (FHF), Rosnick Grant, has been banned from the sport for life after being found guilty of abusing his position and sexual harassment, world football's governing body FIFA said on Friday.

FIFA also said they had imposed a 100,000 Swiss franc ($108,589.42) fine on the official.

Grant, a former international referee, was provisionally suspended from all football-related activities in February - a ban which was extended in June - pending the investigation into his conduct.

"The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has found Mr Rosnick Grant guilty of having abused his position, as well as of having committed acts of sexual harassment and abuse, including coercion and threats, in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics," a FIFA statement read.

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"In its decision, the adjudicatory chamber found that Mr Grant had breached art. 23 (Protection of physical and mental integrity) and art. 25 (Abuse of position) of the FIFA Code of Ethics."

Former FHF president Yves Jean-Bart was banned from all football-related activities in November last year after FIFA found him guilty of sexually harassing and abusing multiple female players, including minors. He denied the allegations.

Women's Under-20 national team supervisor Nella Joseph was also given a 10-year ban in May as part of the investigation.

Grant could not be immediately reached through Haiti's football association for comment.

($1 = 0.9209 Swiss francs)