German Olympic champion in high diving Jan Hempel has claimed that he was sexually assaulted by his coach for several years.
In an ARD documentary titled “Abuse – Sexual Violence in German Swimming”, the silver medalist in the diving competition from a 10-meter platform gave the first public account of the accusations against his former coach Werner Langer, who… He died in 2001.
“I was sexually assaulted by my coach,” said Hempel, 50, who said his coach abused him from 1982 to 1996. He never missed a moment to satisfy his wants and needs.
Hempel said he first defended himself against Langer before the 1996 Olympics, and reported the incidents to the next national coach the following year.
Langer was subsequently arrested for allegations of his past with the Stasi (Ministry of State Security in East Germany) and not for the alleged assaults. “Everyone has been silent until today,” said Hempel, who was disappointed with the German Swimming Federation.
“I have had to feel for several years that sporting success is what is important to the federation and that anything else, whether it is health or a problem of any kind, is being ignored,” he added.
The German Swimming Federation said it would make a statement. And the network “ARD” reported that the current leadership of the union learned about Hempel’s accusations from the network.
Hempel also reported that Langer assaulted him in the stadium toilet before the high diving final at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
Another athlete, who preferred to remain anonymous, reported in the documentary that Langer physically abused him in his sleep.
Hempel was diagnosed with primary Alzheimer’s disease. “I notice more and more disappearing from my mind,” he said. Now I can still remember a few things.
“I don’t know how long this will last,” he added.
Indeed, Hempel had informed his wife, Ines, of this matter before. In the documentary, Enes Hempel stated: “He thought it was hard to talk about it, so he wrote it, so I couldn’t do anything about it that shattered the human soul.”