Munich sex pest saves his denials for TV documentary

Munich sex pest saves his denials for TV documentary

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norman lebrecht

October 27, 2018

Here’s the latest phase in the sorry saga of Siegfried Mauser, former head of the Munich Academy of Music who has been convicted of sex offences against staff members and sentenced to more than two years in jail.

In this 45-minute German documentary, Mauser and his accusers tell their conflicting versions.

‘I’m a victim,’ says Mauser. ‘Ten years ago nobody would have paid attention.’

Chilling stuff.

Watch here.

Comments

  • “‘I’m a victim,’ says Mauser. ‘Ten years ago nobody would have paid attention.’”

    My wife and I have been protesting the sexual exploitation of students (and colleagues) in Germany’s music schools for for over 30 years. It’s so good to see something finally being done. It has been astounding that the administrations did so little, and that action finally came when a District Attorney stepped in.

    This also illustrates how lucky the men have been who have only been sanctioned by their employers instead of the criminal courts. Mauser’s actions were similar to most of the men’s who have been in the news of late, and yet he is going to prison largely because such behavior in music schools was simply tolerated. This meant that the only recourse was for the criminal courts to become involved.

    In one recent case in the USA that has been in the news, the alleged actions are rumored to include the drug rape of a colleague — something far worse than what Mauser did. And yet the alleged perpetrator has not been convicted, and has only been fired. He is very fortunate, even if drug rapes are very difficult to prosecute. (That’s why Cosby got away with it for decades.)

    The sexual objectification of women is one of the foundations of the discrimination women face in classical music. When women are sexually objectified, they are disadvantaged from the outset. Countries like Germany, Italy, France, and the USA all share equally in this problem.

    • Mark says:

      What the … is “sexual objectification of women” ? Any attractive woman is an object of desire for a normal heterosexual male. That’s just human nature.

      This doesn’t mean that people should not exercise self-control. But unless you are blind or gay, women are “sexual objects”

      • The term is widely known: “Sexual objectification is the act of treating a person as a mere object of sexual desire. Objectification more broadly means treating a person as a commodity or an object without regard to their personality or dignity. Objectification is most commonly examined at the level of a society, but can also refer to the behavior of individuals and is a type of dehumanization.”

        In the above case, it was alleged that highly trained and accomplished women went to his office to discuss professional matters. Instead, he used his power and position to grope and tongue kiss them, a view so reductive and unprofessional that it was obviously dehumanizing.

  • Brian says:

    Oh, what a despicable headline. Regardless of what he did or did not do, the man is a human being. Calling him a “sex pest” is worthy of one of those British tabloid rags!

    • Peter says:

      That’s what gets you riled up about this story? Really? Nothing to say about his behaviour, yet in your book a colourful headline warrants the label “despicable”?

      I note the airy reference to what he “did or did not do”. He has been convicted in a criminal court. Isn’t this what critics of “me too” accounts are always saying we should be waiting for?

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