Jan Hempel
Ex-world-class diver: “I was abused by my coach. Everyone was silent”
Jan Hempel (left) and his trainer Werner Langer (middle) at the Rostock Springer Day in 2000.
© Bernd Wuestneck / Picture Alliance
Former world-class water jumper Jan Hempel was sexually abused by his coach Werner Langer for years. The 50-year-old raises this accusation in an ARD documentary about sexualized violence in German swimming.
Studies have shown that every third competitive athlete in Germany has experienced sexual assault or even abuse. Former world-class water jumper Jan Hempel is also among the victims. In the ARD documentary “Abused – Sexualized Violence in German Swimming”, the 50-year-old raises serious allegations against his former coach Werner Langer. For 14 years, from 1982 to 1996, he regularly abused him, says the athlete. “He never really missed a moment to let his wishes and needs run free,” said Hempel. The man from Dresden had to struggle for composure several times during the intense conversation.
Jan Hempel has collected dozens of medals
Although Jan Hempel was often plagued by injuries, by the end of 2002 he had taken part in four Olympic Games, four world championships and seven European championships. He jumped at Olympic silver and bronze, plus another twelve international and 49 German medals. He was also regularly abused at tournaments, for example right before he started at the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992. “Let’s do it again, so you’re relaxed and free,” the coach said to him at the time, the athlete says. He then botched the last jump, a three and a half Auerbach somersault, which cost him a place on the podium.
Jan Hempel in the documentary “Abused – Sexualized Violence in German Swimming”
© Screenshot/ARD / star
The sexual assaults began with touching when he was eleven years old, “later he forced me to do sexual acts every day,” says Hempel. “I just know that in the end you put up with it because he did things like that said like, ‘If you do that, you’ll have this afternoon off.'”
The fact that he is now going public with the serious allegations also has to do with the fact that the former water jumper was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. “I think you owe it to others to talk about it in the future.” Coach Werner Langer cannot comment on the allegations, he took his own life in 2001.
“Everyone has been silent until today”
In 1997, Hempel confided in the then national coach Ursula Klinger and told her about the years of rape. In turn, they turned on the German Swimming Association, which also reacted. However, in a special way. Langer was thrown out as a trainer, officially because of “Stasi past”. The association never dealt with the allegations of abuse itself. “Everyone has been silent until today,” says Hempel. He accuses the long-time DSV official and current national trainer of water jumpers, Lutz Buschkow, of having contributed to the abuse case never being processed.
The documentation by investigative journalist Hajo Seppel sheds light on other cases of abuse in swimming. Those affected raise the accusation that sporting success is paramount and that there is a widespread lack of willingness to provide information. But sometimes things do come out in the open. In February, the district court of Würzburg sentenced the former open water national coach Stefan Lurz to a suspended sentence of six months for sexual assault. Lurz had already been investigated twelve years earlier, but at that time people from his environment had testified for him.
The documentary: “Abused – Sexualized Violence in German Swimming” runs on Saturday, August 20 at 10:40 p.m. and is also available immediately the ARD media library to see.