Parliamentary groups demand victim advocate after abuse allegations
Following allegations of sexual assault and abuse of power at Erfurt Theatre, four city council factions have called for the involvement of a victim advocate. The CDU, Left Party, Green Party and Mehrwertstadt parliamentary groups stated that witnesses should be questioned in a protected room. In addition, psychological help should be provided to all those involved.
The city administration had commissioned a Berlin law firm to investigate allegations of sexually motivated breaches of duty towards women and abuse of power at the Erfurt Theater. According to the head of administration, the exact scope and number of possible cases is not known.
The "Thüringer Allgemeine" reported on Saturday that the equal opportunities officer Mary-Ellen Witzmann had been dismissed without notice. The newspaper referred to her lawyer. There was initially no confirmation from the city that she had been dismissed without notice on Saturday. Witzmann had made the accusations public and was initially put on leave as a result.
The joint statement by the parliamentary groups said: "We will scrutinize how the equal opportunities officer is treated." Mayor Andreas Bausewein (SPD) had so far failed to show solidarity with those affected. "It is incomprehensible to us why the Equal Opportunities Officer was dismissed after being suspended."
The city council factions also urged for the Erfurt Theater to undergo a review by an independent theater ethics committee. Amidst the ongoing investigation, the theater should temporarily halt its productions to ensure a safe environment for everyone involved.
Source: www.dpa.com
