A network of female fans is raising awareness of the experiences of match-going women. Despite no official numbers being available, witnesses tell of a reality of sexist remarks, harassment and, in some cases, even rape. Lena has been attending football matches for years. One Saturday, while finding her place in the stands with a group of friends, sipping her beer and having a chat, she felt something grabbing her from behind. At first, she thought it was an accident. “I thought someone probably just made the wrong move.” But then she was groped for a second time. And a third. There was no longer mistaking what had happened. “I wasn’t sure who it was, but I shouted in the direction of a group of male spectators that they should stop doing it,” she says. One of them mocked her for “making a scene.” Others looked passively in her direction. Apart from her group of friends, no one stood up for her, despite her drawing attention to the situation. Some even pointed fingers and laughed. “It was difficult,” says Lena, whose name has been changed upon her request. “I felt like I was in the spotlight. I felt angry and hurt.” After the game, Lena wrote about what had happened to her online. She recalls how, while the vast majority of responses were supportive, there were also other types of reactions. “Some were questioning whether this really happened? Is she exaggerating?”
via dw: Sexual violence in German football: ‘It exists’
