No charges to be brought against York Olympian over child abuse allegations
A police investigation into child abuse allegations against a York Olympian has ended with no charges being brought.
Stan Wild, who founded the York City Gymnastics Club in 1974, had been interviewed by police on a number of occasions.
It followed complaints about alleged sexually inappropriate behaviour by Mr Wild, who is now 78.
Mr Wild has never been charged with any criminal offence.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said today (Thursday): “A file of evidence was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service at the beginning of May 2022 relating to four non-recent child abuse complaints made against a now 78-year-old man from York.
“Four women came forward to the police during the past year following national media coverage of an ongoing investigation into the same man.
“That investigation involved three unconnected women alleging offences committed by him in the 1970s and 2000s.
“Following careful consideration of the evidence in these matters, the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision was for ‘No Further Action’.
“All parties have been updated and specialist support continues to be provided to the complainants.”
Double Olympian
The first complaint against Mr Wild was in 2008 but no action was taken by police.
Ten years later, following another complaint, the Crown Prosecution Service decided to take no further action “due to there being insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction”.
Last year, BBC Look North broadcast interviews with a woman and a girl who say that they were sexually assaulted by Mr Wild at York City Gymnastics Foundation, when he was their coach.
He was expelled by British Gymnastics in the summer of 2021. He had been suspended for five years before the decision.
They wouldn’t comment over why they had expelled him.
Mr Wild represented Great Britain in gymnastics at both the 1968 and 1972 Olympics, and represented his country 26 times in total.
York City Gymnastics Foundation say that Mr Wild is no longer connected to their organisation.