The allegations surrounding Mexican Championship Tour surfer (and Paris 2024 Olympian) Alan Cleland Jr. continue to reverberate through the surf world.
Now, the Federación Mexicana de Surfing has broken its silence.
The federation issued a statement after reports linked Cleland, 24, to an alleged sexual assault involving a 16-year-old Australian surfer at a private gathering in Tahiti following the Outerknown Tahiti Pro in August. Surfing World first identified Cleland as the competitor provisionally suspended by the World Surf League and reported that the incident allegedly involved the teenage surfer and at least three other men.
See the statement, linked here, and below.
The WSL itself has not publicly named Cleland or detailed the allegations. It said only that a Men’s Championship Tour competitor had been suspended after it learned of allegations of a “deeply serious nature” stemming from a private gathering in Tahiti.
“All WSL competitors are bound by the conduct standards outlined in the WSL Rule Book, at all times,” the league said, adding that its Discipline Committee issued a provisional suspension from all WSL events.
Mexico’s surfing federation went considerably further in addressing the nature of the accusations.
“Our position is clear: Violence and any form of abuse have no justification or place in surfing or any other aspect of life,” the federation said in the statement, as translated from Spanish. “We do not downplay these incidents, minimize their seriousness, or accept that they should be treated as private matters.”
The federation said it supports both the relevant authorities and the WSL’s decision to provisionally suspend the athlete.
“It is for the legal authorities to determine responsibility,” the statement continued. “However, this does not mean neutrality in the face of the seriousness of what has been reported. The presumption of innocence is a procedural right, not a reason to remain silent or diminish the significance of the accusations.”
Whether criminal charges will follow remains unclear.
Related: Al Cleland Jr.’s Former Girlfriend Goes Public With Abuse Allegations After WSL Suspension
New South Wales Police are reportedly aware of the allegations, but neither NSW Police nor the Australian Federal Police has confirmed an active investigation. Meanwhile, the Papeete prosecutor’s office told Tahitian media Monday that no formal investigation had been opened in French Polynesia at that time.
At this time, Cleland has not been charged or convicted of any crime.
The controversy widened Monday when Cleland’s former girlfriend, German pro surfer Noah Klapp, publicly accused him of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse during their relationship—allegations separate from the Tahiti incident. Klapp wrote that Cleland had sexually assaulted her “many times” and “pinned me down on the bed.”
Cleland had not publicly responded to those allegations as of the latest reporting.
What began as an unexplained WSL suspension has quickly become one of professional surfing’s most serious controversies.
And now, Cleland’s own national federation has made its position unmistakable.
This is a developing story; more to come.
Related: Championship Tour Surfer Suspended After “Deeply Serious” Allegations
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