The allegations weigh heavily: abuse, rape, dangerous bodily harm. The accused apparently takes it lightly – and is joking.
Frankfurt/Main – A trial against a former youth trainer who is accused of raping and sexually abusing children and young people began in the Frankfurt Regional Court on Friday. The 35-year-old former youth coach of the third division football club SV Wehen Wiesbaden is said to have abused ten boys from the beginning of 2014 to December last year.
In particular, the prosecution accuses him of raping a 16-year-old around 50 times. The victims are said to have been drugged with alcohol or sleeping pills beforehand. The man is also charged with dangerous bodily harm and the production of child and youth pornography.
At the beginning of the trial, the accused joked with his lawyers and sat grinning in the dock. To protect the victims, the public was excluded shortly after the start of the hearing before the prosecution read out details of the crimes the man is accused of.
The accused has been in custody since December. The club had separated from him immediately after the allegations became known.
The juvenile criminal court is facing an extensive hearing of evidence with initially twelve days of hearing until the end of November. Large parts of the process could also take place behind closed doors on the coming days of the negotiations. dpa
