Overview

• Multiple former athletes accuse a onetime Olympiastützpunkt Hannover trainer of sexual harassment and abuse, including explicit late‑night messages to a 16‑year‑old and coerced undressing and touching in a physiotherapy room.
• The Niedersächsischer Leichtathletik-Verband has filed a criminal complaint and says the coach should be suspended pending clarification.
• Prosecutors confirm action in separate cases, with charges for sexual coercion filed in Mannheim and an investigation opened in Hannover, while one affected athlete has also reported the case.
• The Deutscher Leichtathletik-Verband has initiated proceedings to revoke the coach’s A‑license and says licensing checks are being strengthened; a different coach in Hesse has already lost his license.
• The accused rejects the allegations through a lawyer, as officials and experts highlight systemic protection gaps and so‑called trainer‑hopping, with the federal abuse commissioner urging effective barriers to prevent repeat placements.