Hanover - 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.
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- Despite the dropped proceedings, the incident involving dog excrement and Marco Goecke, the former ballet director of the Hanover State Opera, has garnered attention in various media outlets across Germany, including the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ).
- The criminality surrounding the incident was unprecedented and caused significant distress to the victim, a prominent journalist from the FAZ, who experienced severe humiliation but thankfully avoided any bodily injury or health damage.
- The Hanover public prosecutor's office operated within the law, following due process, and ultimately came to a decision to drop the charges against Goecke, citing his lack of a criminal record, insight into injustice, and acceptance of negative professional consequences.
- Wiebke Hüster, the FAZ journalist, expressed her satisfaction with the outcome of the proceedings and declared that she would not pursue civil proceedings against Goecke, preferring to donate any potential compensation to a conflict mediation non-profit.
- The Hanover State Theater, situated in the capital of Lower Saxony, decided to part ways with Goecke after the incident, terminating his contract as ballet director in a mutually agreed death.
- The Hanover opera house, known for its rich cultural heritage, was the stage for the controversial incident involving excrement, adding yet another strange event to the history of this iconic theater.
- The dog excrement incident, while shocking and bizarre, sparked an important conversation around workplace ethics, professionalism, and the consequences of actions in the media and theater industries, paving the way for a more considerate and respectful professional environment for everyone involved.
Source: www.stern.de
