The former national player Christoph Metzelder has to go to the dock in Düsseldorf.
On the first day of the trial, a judgment was made after his partial confession.
Update from April 29, 3:58 p.m.:
The Düsseldorf District Court has
sentenced
former national player Christoph Metzelder to a ten-month suspended prison sentence for passing on child and youth pornographic files after just one day of trial.
The 40-year-old had admitted the accusations of the public prosecutor's office on Thursday in parts.
During the trial, Metzelder had confessed to the possession and forwarding of a total of 18 files.
297 files were found on his cell phone, which was seized in 2019.
The verdict is not yet legally binding.
Christoph Metzelder with admission of tears: "Leave a wound that will never heal"
Update from April 29, 1:13 p.m.:
Christoph Metzelder stood before the Düsseldorf District Court on Thursday in possession and forwarding of child pornographic files.
“I obtained incriminated images and made screenshots on freely accessible websites.
I exchanged extreme fantasies in chats, ”said the 40-year-old in his admission to room E.116.
The fascination “lay in the crossing of borders”, not in the depictions of the most severe sexual abuse themselves.
Despite the most blatant statements in the chats, "assured Metzelder:" That only took place in a digital parallel world. "
In a broken voice that was finally choked with tears, Metzelder spoke for the first time about his guilt.
He sent the files “although I know the unspeakable suffering for children behind every file.
Despite my commitment to children.
I accept the punishment and apologize to those present on behalf of all victims of sexual violence.
I leave a wound that will never heal.
I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life. "
The presiding judge Astrid Stammerjohann then excluded the public from viewing the evidence.
She had previously promised a suspended sentence of ten to twelve months.
Christoph Metzelder: The process has begun - the ex-national player breaks his silence
Update from April 29, 11.41 a.m.:
The trial against Christoph Metzelder has begun. The former Bundesliga star entered the hall at the Düsseldorf District Court in a gray jacket and a black FFP2 mask. According to
AFP
information,
he commented
on his résumé, his sporting career and his social commitment, of which he was "very proud". However, he was silent about the allegations. "September 3, 2019 was a turning point, professionally, socially, privately," said the 40-year-old.
He has lived "since then, withdrawn, all professional and social commitments are suspended or have already ended".
He wanted to return the Federal Cross of Merit and the North Rhine-Westphalian Order of Merit “out of respect for current and future award winners”.
Metzelder's lawyer Ulrich Sommer criticized in his statement that it came to the public main hearing.
Christoph Metzelder in court: Serious allegations against ex-national players
First report from April 29th, 9:03 am:
Düsseldorf - Soccer vice world champion Christoph Metzelder (40) has to answer to court this Thursday in Düsseldorf.
He is charged with possessing child and youth pornography and forwarding a total of 29 files to three women.
The district court has emphasized that the 40-year-old is considered innocent until the legal conclusion of the proceedings.
He has not yet commented publicly on the allegations.
The allegations against Metzelder became known in September 2019.
A few days ago, his defense attorney Ulrich Sommer made a public statement: “He knows what he's done.
He also knows that you can call that a mistake, ”said Sommer in a TV interview.
Christoph Metzelder: Former soccer star in the dock
"At some point there is this kick even with things that you shouldn't have touched at all costs," said Sommer, who also confirmed that Metzelder was now in therapy. It is "about sexuality and dealing with women". The public prosecutor's office will probably have to do without the main witness in the process. A penalty order of 1000 euros was issued against the woman from Hamburg, who is said to have had an affair with Metzelder, against which she has appealed.
The woman's Hamburg lawyer had rejected the accusation that his client was a provocateur who lured the former Bundesliga star into a trap: “My client's behavior has nothing to do with provocation.
Metzelder steered the conversation towards sexual fantasies with minors.
She did what was necessary to prevent crimes against children.
That takes a lot of courage, ”he said
when
asked by the
dpa
.
Allegations against Christoph Metzelder: 297 criminal files on the cellphone of the ex-national player?
Since the proceedings against her in Hamburg have not yet been concluded, she is allowed to refuse to testify.
It is also unclear whether Metzelder's cell phone can be used as evidence.
297 criminal files are said to have been discovered on the mobile phone.
At the beginning of September 2019, investigators missed out on ex-national Metzelder at the DFB * football teacher training course in Hennef.
His room there and Metzelder's Düsseldorf apartment were searched.
The Düsseldorf District Court has set three trial days for the case until May 10th.
Astrid Stammerjohann will be the judge in the process.
(akl / dpa / afp / sid) * tz.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
List of rubric lists: © Federico Gambarini / dpa
