allegation of assault
Proceedings against German gymnastics trainer set
03/17/2023 5:59 p.m
Insults, harassment and the administration of medication without medical instructions: the allegations against gymnastics trainer Gabriele Frehse weigh heavily. However, the investigators found no evidence that would allow criminal proceedings. However, there is an objection to the cessation.
The public prosecutor’s office in Chemnitz has dropped the investigation against gymnastics trainer Gabriele Frehse and two doctors on allegations of negligent bodily harm. Although there were problems at the Chemnitz Olympic base, no criminally relevant things were determined, said Ingrid Burghart, spokeswoman for the Chemnitz public prosecutor, on request.
The former uneven bars world champion Pauline Schäfer-Betz and other gymnasts had accused the 63-year-old trainer of administering medication without a doctor’s prescription and not allowing any objection. Frehse is also said to have bullied and insulted the athletes. She, in turn, had always denied the allegations. As a result, the public prosecutor’s office began investigations into the allegation of negligent bodily harm in December 2020. These have now been discontinued with the decree of February 16.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the lawyer representing Pauline Schäfer-Betz and other gymnasts has filed a complaint against the termination of the investigation. However, this has not yet been justified. As soon as a reason is available, the public prosecutor’s office will decide whether the investigation will be resumed. If there were no reasons for doing so, the case would be referred to the Attorney General’s Office. Before that, all parties would have access to the files again.
A termination by Frehse due to the allegations by the gymnasts and a ban on the hall had already been declared invalid by the Chemnitz Labor Court in 2021. Most recently, she reportedly worked as a volunteer trainer.
In the course of the review, Alfons Hölzl, President of the German Gymnastics Federation, realized “that we have to question our entire system. In our sport, minors are trained to perform at their best. It shouldn’t be that we expose children to situations that reach the level of violence.” After an investigation by a Frankfurt law firm, the DTB found “serious breaches of duty” by Frehse.