Proceedings against Goecke dropped after dog excrement attack
The proceedings against the former ballet director of the Hanover State Opera, Marco Goecke, for a dog excrement attack have been dropped in exchange for a fine.
A spokeswoman for the Hanover public prosecutor's office said that the smearing of a journalist with dog excrement had been deemed an assault. Goecke had to pay a mid-four-figure sum to a non-profit organization that deals with conflict mediation. The "Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung" (HAZ) had initially reported on the dismissal of the case.
Contract as ballet director terminated
On February 11, 2023, Goecke had smeared dog excrement on a writer from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung ("FAZ") in the foyer of the opera house in the capital of Lower Saxony. He had previously accused her of always writing "terrible, personal" reviews. The Hanover State Theater parted ways with the choreographer the week after the attack. According to the management, his contract as ballet director was terminated with immediate effect by mutual agreement. International media such as the "New York Times" reported on the attack.
After the attack, both the ballet critic concerned, Wiebke Hüster, and the "FAZ" newspaper filed charges against Goecke. The dance critic was satisfied with the outcome of the proceedings. "For me, everything is fine the way it is," Hüster told the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" (NOZ). She is not seeking civil proceedings. "I don't want any money from Marco Goecke," she said. "Whatever he would have had to pay me, I would have donated anyway. I deliberately decided not to. Donating money is nice - but do I want to put myself through this process? Then I would have had to meet Marco Goecke again. And I don't want that."
The act was not classified as assault
After the dog excrement attack, Goecke was investigated for simple assault and insult. The victim had experienced the act as severe humiliation, but had not suffered any physical impairment or damage to his health, said the authorities' spokeswoman. Therefore, the offense was not classified as assault. In addition, Goecke had no criminal record, had shown insight into injustice and had had to accept negative professional consequences. The proceedings were discontinued in agreement with the Hanover district court.
In an interview in September, Goecke himself cited burnout as the reason for the attack with dachshund poop. "It's tragic what happened and I regret it," the 51-year-old told the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper. At the same time, the choreographer reported on new plans with the State Opera in Prague, among others. The most important thing for him, however, is to look after his now 15-year-old dachshund Gustav. According to Goecke, it was an act of passion. He had actually wanted to dispose of Gustav's poop in a plastic bag.
The closures of potential theater performances directed by Marco Goecke due to the incident may impact the local art community. Despite the dropped charges, the incident has tainted Goecke's reputation in the media world, potentially affecting his future opportunities in the theater industry.
Source: www.dpa.com
