Accused of human trafficking – high-flyer crash
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Svetlana Gnezdilov was a successful heptathlon – until she started a criminal career
Credit: Bongarts / Getty Images / Alexander Hassenstein
Svetlana Gnezdilov holds the Israeli heptathlon record. Now the ex-athlete is in custody. Human trafficking, forced prostitution and money laundering – the indictment paints a dark picture.
Hshe jumped far and wide. But now it has fallen deeply. Svetlana Gnezdilov still holds the Israeli national heptathlon record – twelve years after the end of her track and field career. She represented her country at world and European championships.
But then the 50-year-old ex-athlete went astray. Because she currently has to answer to a court in Tel Aviv. Gnezdilov is accused of trafficking in human beings, forced prostitution and money laundering. She is currently in custody.
With the help of a mediator abroad, including in Russia, she is said to have recruited young women who had to work as prostitutes in seven apartments in Israel – up to 13 hours a day, six days a week. The indictment also lists how the women were paid: for 40 minutes, the equivalent was 65 euros, of which Gnezdilov withheld just under 40 euros.
If convicted, she faces several years in prison. In court, Gnezdilov said: “I don’t know where it all comes from. I had only good things in mind. I am an educated woman who does everything to have a good life with her daughter in Israel. ”
Gnezdilov was born in Ukraine and emigrated to Israel in 1996. Sports journalist Adi Rubinstein from the daily newspaper “Israel Hayom”: “At the time, athletics in the country came to a standstill, so it was decided to naturalize athletes from abroad who were somehow of Jewish origin. That was problematic in many cases, even for her. ”
In 2004 Gnezdilov wanted to receive a national long jump record (6.62 meters) by fax, which she set at a competition in Ukraine. Allegedly. Because research showed that the competition never took place. When the Israeli association then sent an observer to Ukraine, Gnezdilov even failed due to the Olympic standard.
First charges dropped
In 2008 she ended her athletic career. The police are currently trying to find out whether she has entered human trafficking before or only afterwards.
Incidentally, the authorities were investigating Gnezdilov two years ago – at that time also for human trafficking and forced prostitution. However, the charges collapsed after it was revealed that the lead investigator was having sex with some of Gnezdilov’s prostitutes.
“The story is a mirror of Israeli athletics. Many athletes have been brought into the country. There were few outstanding results. But all the more scandals for that, ”sums up sports journalist Rubinstein.
This text was written in the sports competence center of BILD, SPORT BILD, BILD AM SONNTAG, WELT and WELT AM SONNTAG. First he appeared on BILD AM SONNTAG.
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