Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Sports writer's compulsion to pat girls

James Cusick
Thursday 21 April 1994 23:02 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A psychiatrist treating the sports journalist Cliff Temple, who was found dead on a Kent railway line in January, told an inquest yesterday that the writer had confessed to a 'compulsion to pat the bottoms of young women,' writes James Cusick.

Mr Temple, aged 46, a respected athletics coach, had been the subject of allegations accusing him of sexually harassing a woman athlete he was coaching. The allegations were made in a taped telephone conversation by one of the leading figures in British athletics, the promotions executive, Andy Norman.

Mr Norman was dismissed from his job with the British Athletics Federation last month.

The inquest in Folkestone heard that shortly before his death, Mr Temple had stopped taking medication. He had been suffering from a paranoid psychotic illness. The inquest returned a verdict of suicide.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in