DENVER (AP) 害羞草研究所� When former elite fencer Kirsten Hawkes reached out to her childhood coach for advice about starting her own fencing club, their meeting immediately turned awkward.

It began, she said, with an unwanted kiss on the lips when the two met during a fencing tournament in Minneapolis last October. Then, as she and the coach were saying good-bye, he forcibly kissed her 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所渟tuck his tongue in my mouth,害羞草研究所� Hawkes told investigators.

Hawkes filed a complaint against the then-assistant coach with the U.S. Paralympic team to the U.S. Center for SafeSport, whose mandate is to combat sex abuse in Olympic sports. But it didn害羞草研究所檛 take long for her to realize she was pitted against not just the coach, but one of the country害羞草研究所檚 top sports attorneys.

害羞草研究所淚t just led to a sense of helplessness,害羞草研究所� Hawkes, 36, told The Associated Press after her allegations against the 52-year-old coach were ultimately rejected.

害羞草研究所淚t shouldn害羞草研究所檛 be an undue burden for a victim to come forward. But that害羞草研究所檚 how it ended up.害羞草研究所�

To Hawkes, the 10-month-long ordeal illustrates why the SafeSport Center for what critics contend is an opaque, confusing process that often takes far too long to resolve cases.

A draft report in September by a congressionally appointed commission obtained by the AP concluded the 害羞草研究所� More than half of the 1,756 athletes, coaches and Olympics officials surveyed said SafeSport wasn害羞草研究所檛 meeting its goals; nearly 25% disagreed when asked whether the center was successful in its mandate to sanction sex abuse in Olympic sports.

Formed in 2017 as former gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar害羞草研究所檚 crimes were being exposed by hundreds of his victims, SafeSport is responsible for resolving abuse cases involving not just Olympians but all athletes in Olympic-related sports down to the grassroots level 害羞草研究所� more than 11 million athletes, including those like Hawkes.

More than 1,900 offenders have been placed on SafeSport害羞草研究所檚 disciplinary database 害羞草研究所� showing, it says, that efforts to corral abusers who might otherwise go unchecked have been successful.

But Hawkes害羞草研究所� former coach never went on that list 害羞草研究所� not after SafeSport handed him a three-month probation in May, six months after its initial hearing in December, nor after he was immediately removed from his Paralympics coaching job by USA Fencing. Then, an arbitration hearing in August overturned the probation and other sanctions.

In her ruling, the arbitrator noted her decision was influenced by the 害羞草研究所渄ifferent and contradictory messages害羞草研究所� sent by the kiss that began the evening.

The AP is not identifying the coach because his name never landed on SafeSport害羞草研究所檚 disciplinary database. His probation only meant he had to disclose his status to anyone he worked for and faced harsher punishment if he committed another violation.

Hawkes害羞草研究所� complaint also included abuse accusations against the coach when she was a child in Huntington, New York. She told SafeSport investigators he touched her between her legs, squeezed her thigh, poked and touched her breasts using his fencing foil, and made comments about her breasts, starting when she was 12.

SafeSport told Hawkes those allegations were not pursued because New York state law and fencing rules at the time would not have resulted in charges or sanctions.

That policy undercuts what SafeSport touts as one of its biggest strengths 害羞草研究所� its authority to pursue cases without regard to statues of limitation.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 frustrating to the center, as it is rightly to claimants, when rules or laws did not exist that prohibited conduct in the past害羞草研究所� that SafeSport would punish today, said communications director Hilary Nemchik.

Hawkes said the center害羞草研究所檚 response fed into her belief the process is flawed if it won害羞草研究所檛 even consider older allegations like hers.

害羞草研究所淚t has to be consistent,害羞草研究所� she said.

Hawkes said as a kid, her reaction to the coach害羞草研究所檚 alleged behavior was less horrified than now.

害羞草研究所淚 think about it now and it害羞草研究所檚 really disturbing,害羞草研究所� she said, adding that as a child 害羞草研究所渋t was just less awkward害羞草研究所� to let it pass.

Still, Hawkes said she also had good memories from her childhood fencing days and wanted to pick the coach害羞草研究所檚 brain about a business venture to open her own fencing center in San Diego.

Both said the evening began with the kiss on the lips, but in arbitration testimony, they disagreed over who initiated it.

Hawkes testified the coach began talking to her about her sex life and interlocking legs with her under the bar. She said she was uncomfortable, but tried to make the best of a difficult situation because she knew they would cross paths again at the tournament.

She said she answered 害羞草研究所淣o害羞草研究所� when the coach asked if she would invite him to her hotel room. As they parted ways at her hotel, Hawkes said she reached out for a hug and the coach leaned down and forcibly stuck his tongue in her mouth.

害羞草研究所淚 was like, 害羞草研究所楴o, no, no,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 she testified, adding that she pushed him away.

The arbitration decision says the coach 害羞草研究所渁cknowledged kissing claimant that evening, stating he thought she wanted him to kiss her害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� something Hawkes adamantly refuted.

Seeking evidence the kiss was unwanted, Hawkes said she asked the hotel for surveillance video, but was told she would need a subpoena.

Hawkes said she filed a report with Minneapolis police but was told an unwanted kiss 害羞草研究所� the likes of which has victory, prompting an international outcry and the resignation of the Spanish soccer federation chief 害羞草研究所� did not rise to the level of sexual misconduct needed to open an investigation.

SafeSport, though chartered by Congress and acting as a quasi-legal agency, does not have the authority to compel the hotel to turn over the surveillance video. Hawkes said she realized she would have to hire an attorney, which she couldn害羞草研究所檛 afford.

Nemchik said the center isn害羞草研究所檛 designed to act like a criminal or civil court system, limiting powers to call witnesses and subpoena evidence 害羞草研究所� things she said 害羞草研究所渨ould potentially lead to more trauma for those involved.害羞草研究所�

But to Hawkes, the arbitration hearing prompted by the coach害羞草研究所檚 appeal of SafeSport害羞草研究所檚 sanctions was traumatic. It included cross-examination and what she called 害羞草研究所渟lut shaming害羞草研究所� by the coach害羞草研究所檚 lawyer, top sports attorney Howard Jacobs.

It put her in a position to field what Jacobs conceded were tough-but-necessary questions 害羞草研究所� about Hawkes害羞草研究所� sexual history and her actions the night she met the coach.

Also playing a key role was USA Fencing, which removed the coach from his Paralympic team job and limited his one-on-one contact with athletes after the complaint.

This was the latest in a line of cases in which a national agency overseeing an Olympic sport has been at odds with SafeSport, which has primary jurisdiction over abuse cases. In this instance, SafeSport imposed less-stringent sanctions than USA Fencing.

USA Fencing CEO Phil Andrews expressed frustration about how SafeSport policies sometimes hamstring his agency and others that 害羞草研究所渨ish to act in the interests of safety and abuse-prevention of its members and are prevented to do so because of jurisdictional control.害羞草研究所�

Hawkes called arbitration the final step of a frustrating process that left her feeling overmatched and barely heard.

害羞草研究所淚 felt like I was dealing with this useless, for-show organization that didn害羞草研究所檛 solve anything,害羞草研究所� she said.

Eddie Pells, The Associated Press