A former SCR Altach women’s football player has criticised a court’s decision to deliver a man a seven-month suspended prison sentence and fine him £1,046 (€1,200) after he secretly photographed and filmed players in changing rooms and showers.
The man, who is a former top-level Swiss referee, was accused of secretly recording the young women using a concealed smartphone and through a keyhole during his time as an official at the Austrian football club.
Around 30 players were identified on the recording and pictures. A report also stated that the youngest was born in 2007 and the oldest in 1995.
The man, who worked at the club between 2020 and 2025, was ordered to pay each victim £544 (€620).
The case is reported to have shaken football in Austria, with over 100 spectators attending the courtroom in Feldkirch, which is on the border with Switzerland. Although the defendant accepted the verdict, the public prosecutor is yet to decide whether she wants to apply for an appeal.
Eleni Rittmann, 25, who played for the top-flight Austrian team at the time, posted an outraged statement on social media.
Eleni Rittmann, 25, who played for the top-flight Austrian team at the time, posted an outraged statement on social media
‘This leaves me speechless,’ Rittmann, who was not one of the players identified on the seized recordings, said.
‘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.
‘For me this is not a strong enough signal for something that is not tolerated in our society. The verdict is not final as the prosecutor has requested additional time to consider an appeal.’
During the trial, a statement from the victims was read out, saying: ‘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.’
A lawyer for the victims called the case a ‘catastrophe for women’s football’.
Austrian sports minister Michaela Schmidt labelled the alleged crimes ‘disgusting’ in October when they were first reported. ‘If female athletes are not even safe in their own dressing rooms because of an official then they have nothing to stand on,’ Schmidt said.
At the beginning of the trial the defendant said: ‘I plead partially guilty.’
It remains unclear whether the images were disseminated. The defence lawyer said it had been established that the photos and videos had not been transferred to a third party and they now will be destroyed.
In his final words, the defendant addressed the victims to apologise. He said: ‘I agree with the statements made by my lawyer, but I would still like to express my sympathy to all those affected and apologise for my actions.’
The court mitigated the sentence by taking into account his partial confession and his lack of previous convictions.
SCR Altach told Daily Mail Sport that pre-trial they had hosted an information evening for potentially affected players – including parents where minors were involved – where they communicated the facts known about the case at the time. Players were put in touch with legal services, a psychologist, a victim protection organisation, internal club contacts and and the State Criminal Police Office.
Where players felt unsafe in their own apartments, the club organised alternative accommodation for them.
The club have also worked to increase the female presence within the support staff of the women’s team. A female assistant coach was integrated into the coaching team during the winter break, while a female point of contact within the administrative office to address players’ concerns was also designated.
Daily Mail Sport have contacted the Austrian FA for comment.