SERIOUS INCIDENT

NAKMAS regrets that a well established NAKMAS senior instructor has recently been arrested for child abuse relating to girls within his karate club.

The police have arrested and charged the instructor with a list of offences which he allegedly committed against young girls within his club. The instructor has been remanded in custody pending a trial.

NAKMAS would like to make it clear that it is against the law to have a sexual relationship with students that are under the age of 18; this includes 16 and 17 year olds and obviously includes under 16’s as well.

Sadly, the club in question does not have any other instructor that can take the classes in the absence of their chief instructor, and has a huge active student membership. In this respect, NAKMAS shares a responsibility to the students as the licensing authority and governing body. In this respect, we have assisted the club by authorising a well respected NAKMAS senior 6th Dan instructor who holds NAKMAS Coaching Award to NVQ Level III standard , CRB checked, and is well known and well respected within NAKMAS and is known to the majority of the NAKMAS National Management Committee Officers. He will oversee the coaching in the club and will appoint an instructor and assistant instructor within the club once he assesses the coaching ability of some of the senior students.

After speaking to police detectives and social workers relating to this incident, we are shocked that child abuse went un-noticed. Police only discovered the incident when called to the young girl’s house and found the instructor and girl together partly dressed.

The NAKMAS Chair who also is Acting Lead Welfare Officer for NAKMAS comments; “this is a very sad incident. My thoughts go out to the children in question and the parents. The instructor is a senior well established instructor within NAKMAS and was shocked to learn of the recent developments. What is even more upsetting is that when NAKMAS checked to find who the club welfare officer is, it was the chief instructor who allegedly committed the offences. I would strongly advise all NAKMAS affiliates, which I have advised previously to ensure that the club welfare officer (child protection officer) is somebody that is independent from any instructor within the club’.

NAKMAS advises all instructor to protect themselves and ensure spectators watch sessions and ensure that you do not put yourself in a vulnerable position.