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The rush in front of room B 129 of the Berlin criminal court was so great that some had to wait in front of the door. The spectators inside each one left a free seat, wearing mouth and nose protection. Among them parents. But also the children and the men themselves, judo students, most of whom have long stopped playing. They had been brutally beaten, coerced, or sexually abused by their trainer Martin K. for years.
In a dark sweater and square glasses, he was behind a pane of glass. He noted the verdict with an impassive expression. “Defendant Martin K. is guilty of courtroom sexual abuse in 20 cases,” said Chief Justice Norbert Nowak, looking at the 43-year-old man. “Close your eyes”.
K. will lose his freedom for seven years. Until the end he had denied all blame. He was the victim, the boys – between 16 and mid-20s today – conspired against him, he said. Judge Nowak thought it was a protection claim.
The court’s explanations of the individual crimes lasted only half an hour. Several could not bear it. They had to leave when Judge Nowak spoke of oral and anal intercourse, rape, beatings and the fact that the convict threatened to kick the judoka out of the club if he defended himself.
The attacks took place over a period of 13 years. The events occurred in the locker room, on tournament trips, the airport bathroom, the specially rented apartment in Berlin. Also at his vacation home in Sweden, where he regularly invited to training camps. There, the judoka could spend the night “in his own tents or in heated original military tents” for a flat fee of 600 euros a week plus electricity, according to a flyer.
Those affected do not escape the testimony
The convicted K. founded the association in Tegel in 2007 himself. Until his expulsion at the end of last year, he was president, his wife treasurer and his stepson also a coach. One month after the first arrest in November 2019, K. was not arrested again. Then he went back to training. After new complaints from a child, there was a second charge at the end of March and K. had to return to prison.
It was a peculiar process that had been heard in the Berlin regional court for 28 days since April 21. K. usually sat behind glass. He often took notes. Sometimes he whispered to his defense attorney through the speech hatch. His appearances seemed routine, probably also because he was familiar with the Moabite criminal court. K. is a lawyer and has also defended in criminal proceedings. He also defended himself during the ongoing trial, interviewed witnesses.
Since K., as a defendant, denied all crimes and did not make a confession, the seven boys and men also appeared in court as witnesses for weeks. They had to testify about the course of events and describe the consequences that the acts of violence had and have for them. Each time, with each day of the process, new details were involved.
Hugged, fondled, violated
After losing fights, the children, some of whom were under 14 at the time of the crime, were often beaten. After winning fights, there were also rapes. One child lay on the bed in front of K. and had to open his mouth, to another he said: “Your body has been mine for 20 minutes.” For years the judoka said nothing. Nothing about the police, nothing about his parents, nothing about K. himself.
“According to the Chamber, the accused was a kind of father figure to the aggrieved party,” said court spokeswoman Lisa Jani in an interview with SPIEGEL. For example, by taking on parenting duties, she enjoyed a lot of trust, even from her parents.
The judo coach was also aware of family situations. This is what the father of an affected child says, who wants to remain anonymous. He himself saw K. as a confidant, almost a friend, and admired him for his judo training, but also for his tireless commitment to encouraging children. And not only for his athletic performance, but also for his academic improvement.
The judoka must choose between parents and coaches
The trainer exchanged personal information with the children: school grades, vacations, problems within the family. He even went so far, Judge Nowak said, that some families set their vacation time according to the coach’s wishes, so that no judo appointments were missed.
K. believed of a child that only he could take him to the top. That is why he had to leave this family, away from these parents who wanted to ruin his sport and everything. Some judoka should also sign a corresponding contract, decide between his family and him, the coach. Judge Nowak described this behavior as an “interplay of recognition, affection and control.”
The father of the affected child thinks very differently about K. He was horrified by the events and because he himself had not noticed anything. He made serious accusations, wondering how the perpetrator could get away with it without being bothered.
The verdict is not yet legally binding
With the verdict, he hopes the boys and their families can finish him off. He says, “I’m glad it’s over. I hope so. “The sentence is not yet final, the victims have received compensation for pain and suffering in the amount that has not yet been clarified.
In custody, the convicted person could accept what happened, Judge Nowak said. In the end, little spoke for the accused. And against him? Without confession, without cooperation, without apologies to those affected.
After the verdict was announced, Martin K. left the room without saying a word. He was confident that all his judo students would keep quiet as well. He was wrong.
