Australian former tennis player Jelena Dokic "detailed the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father," Damir, in a new autobiography, according to the ABC. In the book, "Unbreakable," Dokic alleged her father "once beat her so badly she lost consciousness, while subjecting her to a torrent of verbal abuse throughout her childhood." Dokic alleged her father whipped her with a leather belt because of a "mediocre training session [or] a loss, a bad mood," and also spat in her face and pulled her hair and ears while kicking her in the shins with pointed dress shoes. Damir Dokic's alleged "constant verbal abuse" included calling his teenage daughter a "slut" and "whore." Dokic said, "He beat me really badly. ... Not just the physical pain but the emotional [pain], that was the one what hurt me the most ... when you are 11, 12 years old and hear all those nasty things ... that was more difficult for me" (ABC, 11/12). NEWS.com.au reported Tennis Australia revealed officials reported "concerns about Jelena Dokic's welfare" to police at the time she alleged she was "suffering traumatic abuse" at the hands of her father. As Australia "reacted with shock" to her "horrifying allegations," the sport's governing body said that "people had lodged police complaints -- but without cooperation from those involved, they could not be fully investigated." Dokic’s revelations in the new book include:
- She was "regularly beaten with a belt and a hard-capped boot."
- She was "regularly verbally abused" and labeled a "whore" by her father.
- She was "made to try to find a place to sleep somewhere at the Wimbledon courts" after her semifinal loss in '00 after being told she was "not allowed to sleep in the family hotel room -- which her tennis career was funding."
Australian basketball player Andrew Bogut said that Dokic's story was "absolutely brutal to read." Tennis Australia said in a statement, "All of us at Tennis Australia applaud Jelena's courage in telling her story and will continue to support her in any way we can. There were many in tennis at the time who were concerned for Jelena's welfare, and many who tried to assist with what was a difficult family situation." Former Australian netball captain Liz Ellis said that "serious questions" need to be asked of the people in charge of tennis for this alleged abuse to happen to a "star of the sport," saying that "a duty of care needed to be exercised." Ellis: "It was such distressing reading. I was sitting on the plane this morning trying to read it and trying not to cry as I was reading it" (
NEWS.com.au, 11/12). THE AUSTRALIAN reported Dokic is continuing to "try to reconcile with her estranged father, despite years of physical and emotional abuse." She said, "I tried to make things better [between us] but it is not an easy thing to do. I don't think he understands the things he has done. I don't think he has taken the responsibility ... it's difficult to find a middle ground with him. It's either his way or that's it." Damir Dokic did not respond "despite attempts to contact him" (
THE AUSTRALIAN, 11/12).
