Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Update
case closed
The pentathlon scandal is over for Schleu
The Olympic Games in Tokyo end in disaster for Annika Schleu. Without success, but with a scandal about her handling of the horse in the modern pentathlon. Even a procedure is initiated. This has now been discontinued, but the discussion is not over for Schleu either.
After the scandal in the modern pentathlon at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the investigations against Annika Schleu and national coach Kim Raisner have been set. This was announced by the respective lawyers of the two.
The Potsdam public prosecutor’s office had therefore stopped the investigation “for alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act” against Schleu and for “cruelty to animals or aiding in cruelty to animals” against Raisner. According to Schleus lawyers, the 31-year-old will pay 500 euros to a non-profit organization. This means that the investigation is “finally closed”. Raisner’s lawyer also announced that the proceedings “against payment of a small amount of money” would also be closed in favor of a non-profit organization.
The attitude “represents neither an admission of guilt on the part of Ms. Schleu, nor was our client’s guilt established or a sufficient suspicion confirmed”, Schleus’ lawyers wrote. The client had “decided, in agreement with the public prosecutor’s office, to discontinue the investigation in this way for purely procedural reasons”.
Raisner also agreed to an attitude that the accusation of guilt no longer applies, “so that our client can continue to call herself innocent”. The 49-year-old emphasized “that no admission of guilt is associated with consenting to the termination of the proceedings,” it said in a statement.
Trainer hit the horse
Schleu had been on the gold course in Tokyo. In show jumping, however, the horse that was drawn to her blocked Saint Boy. Schleu tearfully tried to bring the animal back to the course with a spur and a whip. National coach Kim Raisner also animated her athlete with controversial shouts and a punch against the horse.
Schleu was also interested in “continuing the discussion on the protection of animals, especially horses in and outside of sport,” said her lawyers: “The further discussion about the protection of horses in sport should not be carried out on the back of Ms. Schleu but will be continued within the relevant associations. “
The world association UIPM had already drawn conclusions from the incident and announced that it would remove show jumping from the pentathlon program. After the Summer Games in Paris in 2024, the discipline is to be replaced by a new one.