Soccer hazing not reported: Charlottetown officials

If the hazing of players from Yukon's soccer team had been reported at last month's national championship in Charlottetown, action would have been taken, say local officials.

'The children would have either been suspended or sent home at that time, if of course found guilty.' Gerald MacDonald, P.E.I. Soccer Association

Gerald MacDonald, president of the P.E.I. Soccer Association, told CBC News on Monday there was a system in place to deal with hazings and other disciplinary issues, but the tournament was over when news of the Yukon team incident, during which three players are reported to have been bound with athletic tape, came out.

"From our end, with the tournament there is a harassment officer who has training," said MacDonald.

"If the incident had been reported here, the players would have gone before that officer with their coaches and/or parents, if parents are present, then the situation would have been dealt with from this end and the children would have either been suspended or sent home at that time, if of course found guilty of the offence."

Parents of the Yukon players say the 14-year-old boys were bound with athletic tape, wrapped in plastic wrap, and their teammates wrote obscenities on them on the last night of the tournament.

MacDonald said each team is required to send chaperones to look after players, and there were three coaches travelling with the Yukon team. He said coaches can't monitor everything kids do in their hotel rooms, which is where parents say the hazings took place.