Sport must be accountable when heroes become villains

It may seem emotional rather than rational, but the idea of Oscar Pistorius returning to the track competitively feels wrong, suggests Derval O'Rourke.

Sport is more than just a means of entertainment. We obsess, analyse, monitor and idolise teams and competitors and sport has a huge influence on society. When sportspeople are caught up in criminal behaviour how should their governing bodies react? In recent weeks, we’ve had the Oscar Pistorius trial and witnessed the NFL slide into a downward spiral with their handling of domestic violence issues.

When events in the world of sport transcend the field of play and become criminal, it’s difficult to know where the responsibilities of the sporting bodies lies, but they’ve usually had a pivotal role in facilitating the star’s rise to stardom. Their voices must be heard when incidents occur.