Hidden cameras found in locker room of top German women’s handball team
TuS Metzingen found the devices in their locker room earlier this week
An investigation is underway by German police after two hidden cameras were allegedly found in the changing rooms of a top women's handball team.
TuS Metzingen play in Germany's top-tier Bundesliga, and said that the cameras were discovered this week.
According to the club, an unnamed person who previously worked with them is being treated by the authorities as a suspect while their contract has already been terminated.
As relayed by Spiegel, a spokesman for the Reutlingen police department told a local paper that "evidence" was found on the individual, who may face up to two years behind bars for a violation of personal rights.
The league said in a statement that it was "shocked" by the discovery and condemned the "reprehensible" behavior "in the strongest possible terms" while confirming that the investigation is still underway.
Metzingen's manager Ferenc Rott called it a "disgusting act" by "a direct person of trust" which was "just shocking and has affected us all very much".
He vowed that his outfit "won’t let something like this get us down", however, with "the fact that the team wants to play handball again immediately" a "very strong signal".
"During this difficult time, we received a lot of support from the police, the association, and other teams," he added.
On Instagram, the players also spoke out and echoed Rott's words by writing in a caption to a team photo that they "won't let anything or anyone get us down."
"Women's handball stands together and resolutely defends itself against all those who threaten us and our sport. Our solidarity is greater than any rivalry, any game, any goal!" they claimed.
Yet this is not the first time that an incident of this nature has occurred. Last September, at the beginning of the season, cameras were found in either team's locker room before a game between HL Buchholz 08-Rosengarten and SG BBM Bietigheim.
Metzingen's following game after the discovery coincidentally came against Bietigheim, and Rott was left "very impressed" by their united front and joint decision to honor the fixture lost 32-20 on Wednesday.
Now off until February 5, they will next face Buchholz 08-Rosengarten at their home Paul Horn-Arena in Tubingen.