Abuse scandal at the WAC: 22-year-old arrested-20 children affected!

Abuse scandal at the WAC: 22-year-old arrested-20 children affected!

A former employee of the Austrian football club Wolfsberger AC (WAC) was arrested due to the suspicion of sexual abuse of children. According to a spokesman for the Klagenfurt public prosecutor's office, several of the club's affected children are young football players. A total of up to 30 children and adolescents are affected, including 20 years old between the ages of 12 and 15, such as Ostsee Zeitung reported.

The 22-year-old suspect is said to have committed sexual abuse in at least two cases. In further cases, he is accused of encouraging the children to provide him with homemade photo and video recordings. As an incentive, he offered young people and fan articles, including football jerseys. After his arrest, the suspect "fully comprehensively" confessed.

statements and reactions

The Klagenfurt public prosecutor's office confirmed that investigations are being carried out against the man and that he is currently in the Klagenfurt prison. The regional court will decide on the order of pre -trial detention within 48 hours. In an online position, the WAC emphasized that you had no information about the allegations beforehand and that the accused was not part of the youth team. The association expressed its sympathy and support for the affected children and their families.

In addition, the club management confirmed that the suspect was released from the fan shop a few months ago due to "stealing utensils". According to current reports, the case refers to 20 children, but up to 30 young people may be affected, which indicates the scope of the abuse scandal, as reports the press

reactions to the abuse scandal

The Bundesliga has announced that it will check the existing structures for the protection of children and young people in sports. Sports Secretary Michaela Schmidt announced that it would analyze the case in detail and to consider possible measures such as mandatory child protection training. The processing commission has long pointed out the need to take sexualized violence seriously and to take preventive measures, as in a explained.