sexually assaulted minors
Ex-national coach punished for abuse
2/2/2022 4:23 p.m
As a national coach, Stefan Lurz worked for years at the base in Würzburg – and abused an underage swimmer. The court therefore imposed a professional ban, a fine and a suspended sentence. It is unclear whether Lurz will appeal.
The district court of Würzburg has issued penal orders against the former national swimming coach Stefan Lurz for the sexual abuse of a competitive underage swimmer in two cases. He gets a six-month suspended sentence, the court said. Lurz also has to pay 1,500 euros to the Weißer Ring and is not allowed to be a professional or voluntary swimming coach during the three-year probationary period.
The allegations date from the years 2011 and 2012, specifically it is about the facts of the sexual abuse of wards. According to the public prosecutor, Lurz had admitted these allegations. The penalty order is not yet final, an objection can still be raised. Lurz’s defense attorney, Reinhart Stumpf, said that a meeting with his client and a renewed inspection of the files would determine whether the penalty order was final or whether it would be challenged in whole or in part. “Neither Mr. Lurz nor I make any further statements on this,” he said. If the penalty order is accepted, there will be no public hearing in court.
The public prosecutor’s office initiated the procedure ex officio last February after Lurz was accused of sexual assaults against young swimmers in a “Spiegel” report. According to the public prosecutor’s office, proceedings were discontinued due to the statute of limitations, among other things. The Würzburg-based “Main-Post” had reported in the course of Lurz’s statements that, according to investigations, “a systematic and recurring procedure” had become apparent in the “accused’s actions”. Even if, according to the regional newspaper, many of the situations described in the interrogations were “below the criminal threshold”.
Lurz worked at the federal base in Würzburg. For many years he was national coach of the open water swimmers and celebrated numerous successes with them in title fights. According to the magazine report in February, he had resigned. The presumption of innocence applies until a final conviction.