A German court has upheld the assault conviction of former Manchester City footballer Jerome Boateng for attacking his ex-girlfriend in 2018, and ordered the footballer to pay a £1million fine.
Boateng, 34, was convicted last year of biting and hitting his ex-fiancee Sherin Senler while vacationing in the Caribbean four years ago.
Ms Senler, who is mother to Boateng’s twin daughters Soley and Lamia, told the court at trial that the footballer bit her, spat blood in her face and punched her in the kidney so hard that she couldn’t breathe.
Boateng, who wore a navy blue suit when he appeared in court on Wednesday, has consistently denied the allegations and sought acquittal on appeal of his fine and conviction for causing dangerous bodily harm to Ms Senler and having her insulted.
Munich District Court confirmed on Wednesday that Boateng was guilty, but reduced the original fine – calculated on the basis of the defendant’s net income – by €1.8m (£1.5m) at €1.2m (£1m).
The judges “dismissed the defendant’s appeal as unfounded,” the court said in a statement.
Boateng, 34 (pictured in court in Munich on Wednesday) was convicted last year of biting and hitting his ex-fiancée Sherin Senler while on vacation in the Caribbean four years ago
Ms Senler, who is the mother of her twin daughters Soley and Lamia, told the court during the trial that Boateng bit her, spat blood in her face and punched her in the kidney so hard she could not no longer breathe.
Boateng has twin daughters Soley and Lamia with Ms Senler (pictured together)
The prosecution had requested an 18-month suspended sentence for Boateng.
At the original trial, Ms Senler told the court that Germany’s 2014 World Cup winner punched her, causing her to lose her breath for a moment during a heated argument on a luxury holiday.
The incident happened in the weeks following the World Cup in Russia, when Boateng was part of the Germany squad that was knocked out in the group stage.
Boateng’s former partner described how he “pressed against my eye with his thumb, bit my head and pulled me to the ground by my hair”.
She said she then fell to her knees, at which point he punched her in the kidneys, she claimed – so hard she couldn’t breathe.
Ms Senler said the 34-year-old repeatedly insulted her and hit her on the back with ‘a strong punch and several light blows’.
Ms Senler told the court: ‘Such assaults were on the agenda. We had a turbulent and toxic relationship,” adding that she pointed it out, “because otherwise it would never have ended.”
Boateng and his former partner had been in a relationship for 10 years and have two children together.
Boateng, who wore a navy blue suit when he appeared in court on Wednesday, has consistently denied the allegations and sought acquittal on appeal of his fine and conviction for causing dangerous bodily harm to Ms Senler and having her insulted.
Boateng and Senler started dating in 2007 but had a rocky relationship which saw them break up on numerous occasions
Video evidence of the alleged assault was reportedly viewed in district court, but proceedings slowed following the coronavirus outbreak in Europe in March 2021.
Boateng and Senler started dating in 2007 but had a stormy relationship which saw them break up on numerous occasions.
The couple’s split in 2011 – the same year twins Soley and Lamia were born – was so acrimonious that they reportedly only communicated through their lawyers.
Boateng and Senler, a former fashion student, rekindled their romance in 2013 and got engaged the following year, but reportedly split again after the alleged assault in 2018.
The Munich verdict is the tumultuous final chapter of a turbulent few years for Boateng.
His ex-girlfriend, influencer and model Kasia Lenhardt, was found dead after taking her own life in a Berlin apartment in February 2021 while playing for Bayern at the Club World Cup in Qatar.
He was immediately allowed to return home after news of his death was announced.
The 25-year-old killed herself six days after their relationship with Boateng ended, then gave details of the split in a candid interview with German daily Bild.
Lenhardt – who had the footballer’s name tattooed on her ribcage – called her ex a ‘devil’ and vowed to ‘talk up’ and ‘fight back’ once she recovers from the breakup.
Just hours before she was found dead, Lenhardt had posted on Instagram to talk about a “new chapter” in her life.
The Munich verdict is the tumultuous final chapter of a turbulent few years for Boateng. His ex-girlfriend, influencer and model Kasia Lenhardt (pictured together), was found dead after taking her own life in a Berlin apartment in February 2021 while playing for Bayern in the Club World Cup at the Qatar
After making 363 appearances for Bayern, winning nine Bundesliga titles and two Champions League titles, Boateng’s contract was not extended when it expired in June 2021.
He was then recruited by French club Lyon, for which he still plays.
He was a key part of the Germany squad that won a fourth World Cup crown in Brazil, but hasn’t played for his country since being sacked by former Germany coach Joachim Low in March 2019.
The son of a German mother and a Ghanaian father, he found himself at the center of an integration debate when he was attacked for his skin color by the leader of Germany’s far-right party in 2016.
German leader Angela Merkel got involved and invited Boateng to an event at the chancellery, where she made a point of saying to Boateng’s father, who was also there, “You have a wonderful son, you can be proud.”
