Athletics Association reveals previous coach's identity, as per ZDF's findings
In a significant development, the Lower Saxony Athletics Association (NLV) has filed a criminal complaint against a former state coach. The move comes in response to allegations made by the magazine "ZDF Frontal" and the newspaper "Die Welt", which claim that the coach's behaviour was perceived as sexually harassing by affected athletes.
Uwe Schünemann, the president of NLV and former Lower Saxony interior minister, has stated that the association stands by the victims. He also emphasised the presumption of innocence, stating that the affected coach is innocent until proven otherwise.
The NLV has offered support to the affected athletes, including legal steps and psychological support. However, no further details about the specific allegations or the identity of the coach were provided.
It is important to note that the NLV ended its employment relationship with the coach in 2022, without any indications of criminal behaviour at the time. The coach, who has a lawyer, is rejecting the allegations as "baseless and unproven".
The upcoming issue of "ZDF Frontal" reports on the coach's response to the allegations. The NLV has also asked the competent public prosecutor's office in Hannover to review the allegations from a criminal law perspective. However, no further details about any legal proceedings or investigations beyond the filing of the criminal complaint were provided.
This development does not appear to be connected to the gender tests before athletics world championships. The NLV has not made any statements regarding potential consequences for the coach if the allegations are found to be true. The search results do not contain information identifying a former national sports coach against whom the Niedersachsen Sports Association (Niederlassungssportvereinigung Niedersachsen) has filed a criminal complaint.
