Leipzig coach calls for tougher sanctions as hate speech targets Henrichs

DORTMUND – RB Leipzig coach Marco Rose has spoken out in favour of tougher state intervention against online hate speech.

He said so after defender Benjamin Henrichs was the target of massive racist insults following the 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup quarter-finals.

“I have the impression that more draconian punishments should be imposed, that the state should think about it, in which such comrades are taken out of circulation for a few days,” Rose told a news conference on Friday.

“By locking them up for a few days, you could possibly make one or two of them think about behaving like a normal, social person,” he added.

After the game, Henrichs shared excerpts from personal messages on TikTok, in which he and his family were targeted with racist and derogatory insults. Some messages wished Henrichs would get injured.

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According to dpa information, the player often receives hate messages, but never in such a concentrated way as after the Dortmund match.

Henrichs, who is now considering legal action, doesn’t want to comment on this publicly.

Rose, like Leipzig did on Thursday, condemned the racist abuse suffered by the defender.

“It’s very important to always set an example and stand up against racism and hate on the internet,” he said. He fears, however, that Henrichs’ case will soon be forgotten “like so many things, when it comes to serious issues.”