Shouting Out for Fair Compensation: Commissioner Evelyn Zupke Fights for Victims of East Germany's State-Sponsored Doping Regime
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Investigative Authority's Ombudsperson Advocates for Enhanced Recompense for Victims Suffering from State-Sponsored Doping Scandals in DDR - State Victim Advocate Calls for Enhanced Monetary Aid for Individuals Affected by State-Sponsored Doping Practices
The dark shadows of East Germany's sports system are still haunting thousands of people, buried deep within their physical and mental scars, Zupke exclaims. "It's high time we devise effective instruments for long-term support for those still struggling," she shouts, addressing the survivors of forced doping. The victims, she says, were sacrificed without their knowledge or that of their parents, burned at the altar of the Communist government's ravenous hunger for medals.
This morning, in front of Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU), Commissioner Zupke presented her annual report. In the report, we find harsh words for the government: the unrelenting lust for medals of the regime left its victims reeling in pain. "Too many of these victims have suffered long-term and severe health damage as a direct result of the administration of doping substances," the report reads starkly.
Today, the number of former athletes still battling the aftermath hovers around 8,000 to 10,000, it was revealed during the presentation of the report. saddle up, we're in for a battle, Zupke declares. The second Doping Victim Assistance Act came to an end in 2019, leaving support for the victims in miserable limbo. Only those living in Thuringia can apply for aid from a hardship fund if they are in dire financial need. Regrettably, precious few victims have obtained rehabilitation, the prerequisite for financial compensation. Many have been denied.
Zupke announces her intention to present a new report to the Bundestag this fall. This report will candidly expose the grim situation of the doping victims, making recommendations for necessary actions to help them receive swift and suitable support.
Aside from her calls for help for doping victims, Zupke remains critical of the German government's response to other victims of political violence. She argues that the majority of victims have been denied recognition for their persecution-related health damage, not just doping victims, but countless others denied justice. She mentions instances like stigmatization, professional disadvantage, social disruption, political imprisonment, property confiscation, and politically motivated child removal. The infamy of the DDR must be clearly named as injustice.
Yet, Zupke acknowledges the progress the Bundestag has made in recent years. A law passed at the beginning of the year, for example, has increased pensions for victims and made it easier to recognize persecution-related health damage. Victims of forced resettlement have received a one-time payment, and a nationwide hardship fund has been established. Zupke lauds these changes as "a valuable tool to help victims throughout the country promptly and without bureaucratic red tape."
Zupke believes the Bundestag has initiated a revolution of sorts in dealing with the victims of the SED dictatorship. The new government alliance has promised to continue this course.
To raise awareness and educate the public, Zupke pleads for more support for memorials. "Our memorials are bastions of education for democracy. The preservation and strengthening of their educational work, especially in the digital realm, are of vital importance," she stresses.
"I consider memorial sites to be an essential component of our democracy's infrastructure. As we repair and modernize our railways, roads, and bridges, we must make our historical teachings worthy of the present and future. I propose that funds from the infrastructure special fund be made available for memorial sites," she firmly states.
- Evelyn Zupke
- Bundestag
- DDR
- Reckoning
- Compensation
- Julia Klöckner
- CDU
- Thuringia
- Political Violence
- Memorials
- Infrastructure
- Commissioner Zupke emphasizes the need for Community law to establish long-term support for the victims of East Germany's state-sponsored doping regime who are still suffering, as they were sacrificed without knowledge or consent.
- In her annual report, Commissioner Zupke criticizes the German government'slimited response to victims of political violence, including those affected by forced resettlement, stigmatization, professional disadvantage, social disruption, political imprisonment, property confiscation, and politically motivated child removal, advocating for equal recognition and compensation.
