According to his own statements, water jumper Jan Hempel was abused by his trainer for years. The DSV knew that and covered it up.
Photo: imago/Laci Perenyi
When a state secretary threatens a sports federation with cuts, that’s more important than you might think. Those politicians in the Ministry of the Interior have a lot of power when it comes to negotiations for public funding. The German Swimming Association (DSV) is about more than five million euros. Yearly. And so it’s a hefty shot across the bow when Mahmut Özdemir (SPD) says that associations that tolerate or even cover up sexualised violence “must not receive a cent from taxes”.
In the middle of the abuse debate in the DSV, Özdemir didn’t even have to name the association. Its officials know exactly who is being threatened here. Since Jan Hempel’s poignant move to the public, new victims have been reporting to the DSV every day. Not only this association has swept such cases under the carpet for too long to protect its image. This time, however, the DSV has to do exactly the opposite in order not to go under completely financially.
It takes exactly this media, political and monetary pressure to bring about a rethink. To report perpetrators and force them out of the sport, to train trainers in matters of abuse, to support victims. It’s a shame enough that it didn’t happen without a threat.
