Sexual assault allegations against former manager? Dortmund respond | OneFootball

Following media reports about allegations of abuse against a former employee, Borussia Dortmund speaks out in detail. The club emphasizes the presumption of innocence.

Borussia Dortmund has responded to media reports about allegations of sexualized abuse by a former employee and released a detailed statement. According to Bild information, accusations against the same man emerged in 2010 and 2023. The accused, who was previously employed by the club in a minor role, denies all allegations.

As early as 2010, BVB was confronted with a case from the 1990s. At that time, the accusation was that the employee had made "advances towards a then adult youth player." The responsible club board took the matter "very seriously and made intensive efforts to clarify it." However, the "long-ago" case could not be substantiated as it was "one person's word against another's," and the affected former player did not file a criminal complaint.

In 2023, Borussia Dortmund was again alerted to the same man through the club's whistleblower system. This time, it concerned "another alleged incident" that occurred "many decades ago" and was said to have taken place "in the private life of the former employee."

BVB responds to old abuse allegations

The BVB responded immediately following the Bild report: "The still existing minor employment relationship with the employee [was] terminated," and the individual left the club.

The club emphasized that "at no time [...] were any financial or comparable compensations made." At the same time, BVB made it clear: "The accused denies the allegations to this day. The presumption of innocence applies."

In its statement, Borussia Dortmund stressed that it takes indications of sexualized or interpersonal violence extremely seriously. Since 2019, the club has had a protection concept against sexualized violence, which includes both internal contact points and external and anonymous reporting options. With this, the club aims to "ensure more safety and transparency."

In conclusion, the club made a clear appeal to potential victims and witnesses: "We encourage all victims of interpersonal and sexualized violence, as well as anyone who can provide information on it, to use the whistleblower systems."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.