The scandals surrounding the Gothia Cup continue. Following reports of rape, acts of violence, and missing youth players, it has now been revealed that underage staff members have been working in violation of workplace safety regulations. The same Gothia Cup was recently cited by Ardalan Shekarabi (S) as an example of Sweden’s openness and multiculturalism.
TV4 News reveals that underage staff members at the Gothia Cup were scheduled to work eight-hour shifts for seven to nine days straight. A 16-year-old staff member states that she was denied meal breaks and worked overtime almost every evening, sometimes until 2:00 a.m. The Swedish Work Environment Authority’s special rules for minors also apply to employers.
18-year-old Hugo Strömberg worked as a cafeteria host and also describes understaffing and violence between teams.
– It’s a disappointment. It was chaos at this school. I brought up almost every day that we needed more staff, but they didn’t seem to understand, he says.
One scandal follows another
This latest revelation is yet another in a series of incidents surrounding this year’s Gothia Cup. During the tournament, two suspected rapes were reported, one of which involved the rape of a child. About fifteen reports of offenses including assault, theft, and harassment were also filed.
After the Gothia Cup disappeared In addition, there was an Ethiopian youth team with about 20 players and coaches. The players were between 14 and 17 years old, and the group was the subject of an international search. The police determined that this was likely a case of voluntary departure and stated that there were no indications of human trafficking.
Shekarabi praised the Gothia Cup
Shortly before the revelations, the Social Democrats' spokesperson on labor market policy had Ardalan Shekarabi used the Gothia Cup itself as an example of his social ideal—a multicultural society where everyone can claim to be ”Swedish”:
– This is Sweden, an open society, an equal society, and a society that creates opportunities for children and young people regardless of their background.
Instead, the image of the Gothia Cup is now taking shape as high-profile scandals continue to unfold one after another.
