Former German diver Jan Hempel claimed in a documentary broadcast by German television channel ARD that he had been sexually abused by his trainer for 14 years. The recognition prompted a mixed reaction from the sporting community in Germany, according to German media.
Hempel said that from the age of 11 he was sexually abused by his trainer Werner Langer. Langer committed suicide in 2001.
“It disgusts me,” said Carla Borger, president of athlete advocacy organization Athleten Deutschland. She noted that she was shocked and that more needed to be done to understand how such abuses go unpunished.
Hempel said the management of the German Swimming Association (DSV) was aware of the situation but did nothing. He also pointed to Lutz Buschkow, who has been the head coach of the German diving team for the past 20 years.
“People who remain silent protect criminals,” said Maximilian Klein of Athleten Deutschland. — The culture of silence must be replaced by a culture of recognition and action. It will be some time before this enters the mainstream and thus the last gymnasium in the country. This requires long and painful development processes in (sports) clubs and associations.
Following Hempel’s allegations, DSV said it had temporarily relieved German national diving team head coach Bushkow of his duties “until the facts are finalized”. Bushkov was with the German team at the European Swimming Championships in Rome.
“You can’t blame him, it’s not fair. He had no right to make decisions”, defended the specialist, the German diver Patrick Hausding, who won a silver and two bronze medals at four Olympic Games. – He was a small cog in the system as a coach.
– All this is terrible, Jan Hempel needs to be heard. But I don’t understand why he only releases it 25 years later,” Houseding added.
“I knew it had happened. But to what extent – I was also shocked, – said Heiko Meyer, Hempel’s partner in synchro jumping for many years. He added that Hempel never revealed the details to him. .
Sexual harassment in sport has been the subject of discussion in many countries in recent years, with scandals engulfing American gymnastics as well as football in England, Afghanistan and Haiti.
Hempel won a silver medal at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and a bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Source : MatchTV
