The wider Pokémon VGC has today been criticized for not doing enough to hold other players accountable as an Italian pro faces sexual assault allegations.
The outcry was sparked after an anonymous member of the VGC community shared a document on X (formerly Twitter) on Feb. 23, which alleged they had been sexually assaulted by a well-known Italian Pokémon player, Alessio Yuri “Yuree” Boschetto. In the documents and several screenshots, the alleged victim suggests Yuree assaulted them while they were sleeping then later admitted to the assault in private Discord messages after being prompted.
The VGC community is supposed to be a safe space. Image via The Pokémon Company
The victim stated in the Feb. 23 document, “It is not so much the actual assault that scares me as much as Yuree’s total and repeated inability to apologize for it, which has made me increasingly uncomfortable as time passes.”
While the victim does not expect a ban from official Pokémon events since the alleged incident took place outside any formal competitive space, they said they wanted to share their story to spread awareness and make sure other members of the community have “less of a chance of getting hurt by him.” The Pokémon Company International has previously issued bans or responded to incidents involving hacked Pokémon, antisemitism, and an alleged joke about a bomb threat, but it’s unclear if it will take action here.
In response to the victim’s allegations, other VGC players have been urging the community to hold others in the circuit accountable for their actions, and not simply turn a blind eye when it comes to sexual assault. Otherwise, the vocal group said, more situations like this alleged assault could continue to happen without consequences, which would create an unsafe space for competitive Pokémon players—many of whom are children, teens, and young adults.
In particular, the community was called out for seeming to be “business as usual despite serious allegations of SA being raised against Yuree.” Whether this came in the form of players remaining silent or talking more about their performances at local tournaments, those speaking out said this appeared to be a sign that not enough people are aware of the severity of the situation or are willing to spread that awareness to others in the Pokémon space. One player even suggested they saw more discussion around registration for the Europe International Championships than today’s assault allegations.
Many agreed the most disappointing response came in the form of a joke that made light of the claims and assault. The response was simple: Assault is no joke, and you cannot make a meme out of any victim’s story. Although this was just one response, it shows the community needs to work toward a safer space for any future allegations.
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