Alberta Water Polo tells girls who say they were sexually assaulted to wear 'tight suits'

• UPDATE: Hours after CBC News broke the story about girls reporting their breasts were being groped by another player during games, the Alberta Water Polo Association cancelled the rest of the U14 girls' season: Alberta Water Polo cancels girls' season during investigation but teen accused of sex assaults still playing

The Alberta Water Polo Association cancelled the rest of the U14 girls' season just hours after a CBC News story was published about girls reporting their breasts were being groped by another player during games.

Wear a tighter bathing suit.

That's the advice passed on from the Alberta Water Polo Association to teen and pre-teen girls after receiving complaints of groping during games.

In the last five months, at least three girls around the age of 13 have reported to either the association, police or both that a player in another jurisdiction has been engaging in under-the-suit breast groping during games.

CBC News is not naming any of the players or their teams in order to protect the identities of the underage people involved and because there is an active sexual assault investigation underway.

Police confirm they are investigating sexual assault complaints filed by three girls and their families against the other teenage player. 

As of last weekend, the girl accused of groping other players was still playing.

'If I get kicked and punched, I'm OK'

Tess (not her real name) spoke with CBC News about her experiences while playing water polo. 

At a game in February, Tess says, her breasts were repeatedly grabbed, under her bathing suit, groped by another player. 

It wasn't the first time but it was the worst time.

She says she's used to rough play but this was different. 

"If I get kicked and punched, I'm OK," said Tess. "We have to expect physical contact."

But she says players "never go inside the suit."

After the game, Tess had marks, bruises and scratches on her chest and breasts. In a couple places, she was even bleeding. The whole experience has left her feeling confused and frustrated.

Players 'growing into their bodies,' says group

She says that during the game, she repeatedly asked the other player to stop groping her. 

Photos taken immediately after the game show Tess, dripping wet, with marks on her chest and tears in her eyes. Down farther, Tess says, bruises on her breasts lasted a couple of weeks.

Before Tess's February incident, complaints were made about the same player with the governing body in November but the families feel the Alberta Water Polo Association is not taking their concerns seriously.

"Clearly Alberta Water Polo absolutely has failed here," said Tess's mother. "This has been going on for months."

CBC News has viewed a complaint filed by another player late last year with the organization that makes almost identical allegations. Following that complaint, the organization sent out a memo in January, asking parents not to "amplify situations" that may arise out of "accidental contact."

It also points out the athletes are "young and growing into their bodies."

"Wearing tight suits helps prevent suit grabbing," reads the memo.

Police involved

The association's suggestion she wear a tighter bathing suit is not an option; Tess has a large chest and says she is normally a medium in clothing and bathing suits.

But for water polo, she wears an extra small, which requires a second set of hands to pull the suit together so it can be zipped up. Tess says it takes effort for someone to get their hands inside her bathing suit.

After that February game, other players told her they had made formal complaints about the same player to Alberta Water Polo months earlier with no results.

So Tess and her father called police. 

When an officer arrived to take her statement, a tournament official, who Tess believes to be with the association, burst into the room they were chatting in and demanded to know what was going on. 

Association says it is investigating

Tess's family is frustrated on another level, too.

"Not one person in a position of authority has said 'how is she doing," said her mother. 

The parents of another teen who was also groped by the same girl aren't sure Alberta Water Polo handled the situation poorly. Rather, they feel the association was ill-equipped to deal with allegations of sexual assault.

"Just as things are evolving in other sports, Alberta Water Polo needs to evolve as well … we think it is absurd to suggest the solution to sexual assault is tighter suits."

Although the organization refused to answer questions, the organization did confirm it is "in the process of investigating these allegations," which it described as "highly sensitive."

"The Alberta Water Polo Association will not be commenting further in order to protect the privacy rights of both the complainants and the respondent," wrote Vern Glaser, president of the provincial organization.

Tess's mother even tried to involve Water Polo Canada, begging its executive director Martin Goulet to step in and make organizational changes.

"Use your voice so never again must a kid use theirs," she wrote.

Goulet responded to CBC News, saying the allegations are outside its jurisdiction and it believes Alberta Water Polo is taking the case seriously.