Outrage in Austria after man ordered to pay female footballers 625 each for secretly filming dressing room

"The perpetrator was not only a top-level referee in Switzerland but also an official at Altach. And that is where he filmed players, including minors. I then ask myself, is this an appropriate punishment? I also ask myself, does such a punishment act as a deterrent for others? We felt secure in our dressing room and this hurt our privacy so badly that some of us do not feel safe in public showers even now."

"We are young women, partly still young girls. What has happened has pulled the rug from under our feet. For years he told us that the dressing room was our home but this home was then destroyed by someone who we thought was part of this family."

"The judge saying that it made a huge difference if one looks at pictures or actually creates them oneself."

A man was convicted of creating secret videos and photographs of Altach women's football team members in changing rooms, showers, and gym facilities. He received a seven-month suspended prison sentence, a 1,200 euro fine, and was ordered to pay 625 euros compensation to each victim. The regional court in Feldkirch, Austria, heard that approximately 30 players, including minors, were recorded. The defendant, who worked as a top-level referee in Switzerland and an official at Altach between 2020 and 2025, accepted the sentence. However, the prosecutor may appeal. Players, including Eleni Rittmann, expressed outrage, questioning whether the punishment adequately deters such crimes and noting lasting psychological harm to victims.

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