Paralympic gold medalist swimmer Robert Griswold is being accused of disturbing things this week. He allegedly “maliciously targeted,” groomed and sexually abused a younger, intellectually disabled teammate.
A lawsuit that was filed on Friday claims Griswold abused teammate Parker Egbert. The 19-year-old has suffered from developmental delay and intellectual disability since birth. Given his condition, Egbert is “significantly more vulnerable to abuse.”
Griswold, 25, has cerebral palsy.
Egbert’s life has reportedly been “shattered” by the disturbing incident.
“This case is a horrific tragedy, where a young man who defied all odds to become a world-class Paralympic swimmer had his life utterly shattered by rape and abuse when he was paired with a team member who was a violent sexual predator,” the lawsuit reads.
Griswold allegedly started abusing and raping him in Tokyo, and then again after the two became roommates after the games at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee training center in Colorado. There was at least one witness to the abuse at the Olympics, per the report.
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The swimmer has also reportedly suffered “severe physical injuries, pain and suffering, and extreme mental and emotional distress.”
Griswold won a gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly in Tokyo and set a record in the 100-meter S8 backstroke.
