After NDR, Sportschau and SZ reports about allegations of abuse of power against the former vice president, a commission was commissioned to investigate them. Your report also points to deficits in the processing.
The German Tennis Association wishes its members a winter break and a merry Christmas on December 16th. A day later, the DTB published a message that some people might have been waiting for. The result of the 12-month investigation into allegations of abuse of power in German tennis. The tennis association itself has had the commission’s report since the end of June.
At least four cases interpersonal Violence
The commission comes to the conclusion that interpersonal violence has occurred in at least four cases in the past four decades. Under the term “interpersonal violence” These include forms of psychological, physical and sexual violence as well as neglect. There are also indications of one “Many other cases” in tennis in Germany it says in the report.
According to the three-member committee, the complete report consists of 147 pages. However, only a message of 51 lines was published. The complete report would contain personal information “the privacy of the respondents” concern. The commission therefore recommended that the DTB not publish the report.
The person affected criticizes the publication
Those affected by abuse in tennis sometimes see things differently. “You get the feeling that it should be further covered up”one affected person criticizes the German Tennis Association, which shared its story of sexualized violence in tennis with the commission. Those responsible lack empathy towards those affected. In addition, the knowledge gained from the work that has now been published is small. “I wouldn’t have needed a report from a review commission for that, I know that too.”the person comments on the DTB’s publication.
The German Tennis Association commissioned the scientist Ute Sacksofsky, the Frankfurt lawyer Felix Rettenmaier and the former tennis professional Eric Jelen to carry out the investigation. They come to the conclusion that a lack of a protection concept promoted cases of interpersonal violence. “In addition, a lack of awareness of the issue of interpersonal violence and the association structures made it easier to abuse power.”
In the meantime the DTB has “a protection concept to avoid interpersonal violence” introduced, says the short summary. However, the Commission says it believes in the protection that this concept offers “not sufficient”. Reasons for this assessment are not given.
The commission also evaluated media reports
According to its own information, the commission also evaluated media reports during the investigation period. The cases of interpersonal violence in tennis that have been researched by NDR, Sportschau and SZ over the years go far beyond the cases identified by the review commission.
In the ARD documentary “Abuse of Power – The Open Secret in Tennis”, 14 tennis professionals alone reported allegations of abuse of power against DTB Vice President Dirk Hordorff
Among others, the former tennis professional Maximilian Abel and the still active Indian player Sriram Balaji had made allegations of sexual violence against Dirk Hordorff. Hordorff was Vice President of the German Tennis Association at the time of publication and resigned shortly after the allegations were published. He has since died. He had always rejected the allegations. The short report of 51 lines that has now been published does not address the specific allegations against him.
Second processing commission, who was able to finish her work
The NDR also reported on the abuse of another tennis coach from Schleswig-Holstein. The trainer Joachim J. had confessed in court to 40 sexual abuses of a woman under protection and sexual harassment. He was sentenced to probation. Deutschlandfunk also reported in the past about another person affected by sexual violence as a child at the hands of his trainer.
In the research by NDR, Sportschau and Süddeutsche Zeitung, many things indicated that there were and are people in tennis who knew about attacks but did nothing. It is not clear from the few lines whether the commission has also identified such people. There is also no information as to whether disciplinary measures were taken in these cases.
The tennis review commission is the second of the currently four review commissions in German sport that was able to complete its work. A month and a half ago, the swimming review commission was the first to submit a final report. The summary published by the swimming association has already listed what is known and described recommendations in detail on at least 19 pages. The handball review commission was stopped by a court decision. The commission that is investigating the attacks reported by gymnasts from a club in Weimar by their coach, who has already been legally convicted, is still in progress.