From now on, a nationwide contact point will help in the fight against violence in sport. Victims and witnesses can report there – also anonymously.
Those affected by sexualised, psychological and physical violence in sport can in future seek help from an independent contact point.
The nationwide advice center, which has now started its work in Berlin, is independent of organized sport and is financed by the federal and state governments. “In this way we create the necessary trust so that those affected can get help and support safely and without fear – even anonymously,” said Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD).
“Safe Sport” offers free advice
The Safe Sport contact point is aimed at anyone who has experienced or seen sexualised, physical or psychological violence, for example in sports clubs. The facility wants to offer free initial consultations and crisis interventions by telephone, online and on site in Berlin. The advice center is intended to be an important step towards setting up a center for safe sport, which is intended to prevent and deal with violence in sport.
In addition to the federal and state governments, the interest group for athletes in Germany is one of the co-founders of the sponsoring association for the contact point. The German Olympic Sports Confederation, as the umbrella organization for organized sports, was not involved in setting up the contact point. The DOSB is of the opinion that the financial resources are a matter for the federal government.
DOSB wants to expand prevention and intervention
Most recently, the DOSB had emphasized that sport would continuously develop and expand prevention, intervention and processing of violent incidents, and he also referred to a wide range of measures that were already in place. The umbrella organization had welcomed the establishment of a center for safe sport anchored in the coalition agreement, but at the same time warned against withdrawing funds for ongoing sports measures against violence and allowing them to flow into the center.