Seles Seeking $10 Million for Losses, Prison Stay for German Assailant
Monica Seles, facing perhaps the end of her tennis career, is striking back at her assailant and demanding at least $10 million from the German Tennis Federation for losses caused by the knife attack on her in Hamburg last year.
Seles disclosed for the first time Thursday that she is appealing the sentence of Gunther Parche, who was released on probation without serving time in jail for stabbing her in the back on the court April 30, 1993.
The Cologne attorney for the formerly top-ranked women’s tennis player, who recently became a U.S. citizen, also approached the federation as a first step toward filing a lawsuit against it as organizer of the Citizen Cup tournament.
Wilhelm Danelzik said, “The next step now depends on the response of the German Tennis Federation, and that, of course, I can’t predict.
“It’s hard to specify the damage because it is still going on. But at least $10 million is correct.”
That amount, he said, includes actual losses from tournament winnings and tennis and non-tennis related endorsements.
Seles, particularly upset that Parche was not imprisoned, joined a legal prosecutor in Germany in appealing his sentence.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
