Is there a new abuse scandal in the youth area?

Reviews caused a sensation

Is BVB threatening a abuse scandal?

Was a club official abused youth players of the “black and yellow” over the years? A revelation report reveals details.

Borussia Dortmund apparently threatens a abuse scandal. The Ruhrpottklub is at the center of researching the “picture” for cases of abuse in the youth area of ​​the association. According to their own statements, there are documents that are intended to prove that possible attacks on youth players in the 1970s, 80s and 90s have not yet been comprehensively processed. Even more: On the contrary, Dortmund is said to have even tried not to make the suspected cases public.

According to the report, the club’s long-time “powerful top manager” of the club, which is not called by name, is at the center of the allegations. According to documents, the club management was informed about the allegations in April 2010 at the latest. At that time, the club leadership around managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke had a letter from the victim’s lawyer Thorsten Kahl, in the subject line there was only “abuse”.

Kahl had represented a former Dortmund youth player who, according to media reports on the abuse cases in the Catholic Church, decided to process his own past. At that time, the attacks described had been back for about 20 years and were therefore time -barred.

According to Kahl, the ex-manager in question had repeatedly approached the youth player and made the success or failure of his professional career on “love services”. The sentence had fallen several times: “You want to be a professional.” At that time, Kahl handed over a five -page protocol with descriptions of the incidents.

The descriptions are therefore detailed: the accused “constantly” held up in the youth player’s cabin, watched them to change and take a shower. The player represented by Kahl was invited to “perspective talks” in restaurants and the manager’s private house. There, there were sexual assault, “hugs, tried kissing and touching in the genital area,” says the report of the “Bild”.

Watzke, who was already the managing director of the professional department, answered the lawyer immediately and referred to Reinhard Rauball, then president of the responsible regular association. According to the leaf, the documents show that Rauball then took over the matter. However: Rauball invited lawyer Kahl to a conversation in Dortmund – but expressly without the presence of the person concerned. Rauball “appeared very arrogant, rejected any misconduct,” quotes the newspaper Kahl. In his view, such a behavior was “a typical reaction of affected organizations such as the church, boarding schools and sports clubs”.

At the request of the “Bild”, Dortmund now replied that the accused manager rejected all allegations in an internal survey. At that time, lawyer Kahl was also communicated. And further: The board of directors around Rauball then asked the accused to no longer work for the association until the case was clarified, and also pronounced an access ban on all club facilities.