German Centre for Safe Sport founded, to start operations next year

The federal and state governments have set up a Centre for Safe Sport in Germany to protect athletes and others against violence and abuse.

The independent institution is to investigate, sanction, and address cases of physical, psychological, and sexualized violence in German sports based on standardized procedural guidelines, the federal chancellery said on Thursday.

It will be based in Kassel and is scheduled to begin operations in the spring of 2027. The centre is operated by a joint association of the federal government and the 16 states.

“Anyone who experiences violence must be able to trust that allegations will be investigated independently and addressed consistently,” Minister of State for Sport Christiane Schenderlein said at the founding event at the chancellery in Berlin.

The Athletes Germany group welcomed the centre which it named the foundation of an effective protection system.

It called for maximum transparency and the involvement of all stakeholders, particularly those directly affected, to build the the necessary trust in the centre.

“This brings us a significant step closer to our goal of ensuring that those affected have access to independent investigations and disciplinary proceedings,” Athletes Germany managing director Johannes Herber said.