The Essen district court sentenced a football coach to 13 years and six months in prison with subsequent preventive detention. For around 100 acts of severe sexual abuse of children, rape, dangerous bodily harm and other serious crimes on minor boys.
The reason for the judgment in Saal 244 of the Essen Regional Court lasted two hours. The presiding judge Volker Uhlenbrock once again showed the convicted his deeds. A list of cruelty that the martyrdom that those affected have only suggests. “They caused pain to the children and their families – and that over decades”held Uhlenbruck to the convict.
He spoke of the most severe physical abuse, threats, coercion to rape. The seven boys to whom he Antat’s violence had one thing in common: the dream of football professional. The coach promised them a great career, so they had done what he had ordered them, the judge said.
Perpetrator strategies show the same pattern
A football coach in Munich had also used this perpetrator strategy. Under the pretext of physiotherapy, he had fond sexual violence to his players. The man had previously worked in a professional club, enjoyed great reputation. The district court of Munich I sentenced this trainer to seven and a half years in prison in March 2024. He had made a confession at the beginning of the procedure. The convicted in Essen did not do that.
The processes in Essen and Munich are two examples of a big problem. Perpetrators can take advantage of sport and football for their purposes and, in some cases, satisfy their needs for decades. Just like the trainer from Essen: he had obviously selected football in order to establish contact with children in an innocent way.
Club hopping a problem
More than 20 years until his arrest at the end of January, the convicted at least six clubs worked as a football coach, especially in the Ruhr area. According to Sportschau information, he did not have a coaching license. This so-called club hopping is also considered a common perpetrator strategy among experts. Anyone who may be striking in an association is looking for a new one. He is happy to be accepted there because volunteers are desperately sought.
Judge Volker Uhlenbrock also addressed the frequent change of club in Essen, which the convicted would have made partly with some boys. His view: Even if someone had noticed the frequent change of club – the children would have said nothing because their fear of the perpetrator was too great.
In the numerous clubs, the convict has primarily taken care of teams of the D-youth, i.e. eleven and twelve-year-old boys. He promised a professional career. According to the court, the children did not want to get lost with the trainer and therefore had their wishes and commands. A targeted dependency ratio from which the children did not see any escape. He told the boy that they hugged and kissed in football and that footballers were often homosexual. So he has his behavior as the boy “normal” want to represent.
High number of unreported cases of deeds probably
The convict had been silent about the allegations throughout the proceedings. Therefore, seven affected witnesses had to describe and live through their martyrdom in the courtroom again, including the public. Therefore, the judgment of 13 years and six months in prison with subsequent preventive detention. It could be the highest punishment that a court in Germany has pronounced in a sexual criminal proceedings in the sports context.
Criminal proceedings like this in football are rare. This also indicates a current research by the “Correctiv” media house and the magazine “11 friends”. The research team was able to document 37 criminal proceedings that were about violent crimes against minor footballers. In view of 2.4 million memberships of children and adolescents in German football clubs, there is probably a high number of unreported cases of acts that do not end up in court.
“Absolutely speaking, the number in football should be higher than in other sports”the Cologne sports sociologist Bettina Rulofs also believes. “But that is a result of the many children and young people who are in football”says Rulofs in an interview with the sports show.
Essen coach in 2011 already accused
If there are attacks, only very few affected advertisements. And even if you do it, you are often not believed. It was the same in the current case in Essen. A 30 -year -old man reported here in 2011, who also testified as a witness during the trial. At that time it was descriptions “So special” As the judge called it, so apparently so unimaginable that the psychiatric expert could not believe her.
The procedure posted in 2011 was only discussed again as part of the current investigations. The other affected people had described similar practices and excesses of violence by the trainer, so that the court had no doubt about the credibility of all witnesses.
Love for football exploited
In the process in front of the Essen district court, he had apparently explained the love of the boys to football. He made the boys who were interested in the team captain, made private contact under this pretext and made the children compliant under the threat of punishments.
After the most severe abuse he had them “Make mask” Ordered that they should not show anything to their parents. He had threatened the children to kill them if they tell something at home. He had pretended to the parents and children that he was a policeman and thus also appearing their trust. A father who also testified as a witness was stunned during the judgment in the courtroom and audibly. The judgment is not yet final.