Coach accused of facing a lengthy prison term for engaging in sexual misconduct.
A sports trainer who abused a young girl he was looking after has been given a nine-year prison sentence. In addition to this, he will face a lifetime ban from his profession and is also required to pay compensation.
The Regional Court in Dessau, Germany made this decision regarding the 53-year-old man, who committed the acts against a child he had been entrusted with in more than 230 instances. The verdict primarily resulted from the severe sexual abuse that took place alongside multiple instances of abuse of his wards. The prosecutor stated that these acts happened between 2017 and 2020.
The court also decided to impose a professional ban on the ex-coach of the girl and awarded her an additional €25,000 in damages. The defendant consented to this amount during the trial. At first, accusations were made against the man for over 350 incidents, but the court found him not guilty of some of them.
The court didn't disclose the specific sport or club where the incidents occurred, citing the need to protect the identities of those involved. The spokesperson mentioned that the accused is currently under pretrial detention, and the trial began in early May.
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The international community is calling for stricter processes to prevent and address sexualized violence, following this case of sexual abuse in Dessau. Furthermore, efforts are being made to include sexual misconduct in the coaching profession's international code of conduct to prevent such incidents in the future.
