Bayern under fire over handling of Boateng in case against ex girlfriend

MUNICH – Bayern Munich remain under fire over statements over the way they handled the case of defender Jerome Boateng who faces another trial on assault allegations from a former girlfriend.

Free agent Boateng has been training at his former club since last weekend but Bayern said Friday he would not get a contract for a return into the squad because other defenders were fit again.

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Throughout the week there had been criticism on a possible signing because of the ongoing legal proceedings around the assault allegations dating back to a 2018 incident.

Boateng, 35, was fined by a Bavarian court but the ruling has been nullified by a higher court and referred back to the first court. Boateng has protested his innocence.

Bayern sporting director Chrisoph Freund had said during week the issue was ‘a private matter’ and that they would base their decision on sporting grounds.

German women’s rights group Terre des Femmes condemned Freund’s statement, with a spokeswomen telling Saturday’s Abendzeitung paper that it was “a fatal signal – to all fans, to the public, to those affected and not least the perpetrators.

“Relationship violence is never a private matter – regardless whether it comes from prominent footballers or from colleagues at work, neighbours or the best friend,” she said.

“The attempt of the sports chief to trivialise the accusations against Boateng as ‘private’ points to a structural problem.

“Violence against women is still not taken seriously, victims have to endure intimidation, perpetrator-victim reversal and victim-blaming in addition to physical violence even after separation.”

Terre des Femmes said that society must position itself against domestic violence, including Bayern, who as “the club with the most registered fans in Germany must take responsibility.”

Freund’s statement was also criticised by Weißer Ring, a group that supports victims of criminal offences.

“Domestic violence is not a private matter but a massive problem in society. In 2022 alone 240,547 cases were reported to the police, and that is only the cases known,” Weißer Ring said on platform X, formerly Twitter.