Alexander Zverev settles assault case with ex-girlfriend

The Berlin-Tiergarten District Court in Germany dropped a case against Alexander Zverev who had been accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend. The court announced that a settlement was agreed between both parties.

Zverev’s former partner Brenda Patea “was no longer interested in pursuing the prosecution”, said Inga Wahlen, deputy Berlin criminal courts spokeswoman.

The plaintiff and the tennis star had decided “they would like to resolve this conflict peacefully, also in the interests of their child”, she said.

He had agreed to pay €200,000 as part of the settlement. €150,000 will go to the state treasury and €50,000 to a collective fund for charitable organisations. The decision was reportedly made at the request of the prosecution, with the defendant and Patea, who participated in the proceedings as a joint plaintiff, agreeing to the suspension.

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Zverev, 27, was accused in the indictment of pushing his former girlfriend against a wall and choking her with both hands during a heated argument in May 2020. Patea is said to have suffered “difficulty breathing and significant pain” as a result of the assault.

In October 2023, the District Court issued a penal order against Zverev and imposed a fine of €450,000. Zverev appealed against the order leading to the trial before the District Court. His defence refuted the accusation in the trial that began on 31 May, stating that it was based only on allegations, not substantial, and inconsistent.

Zverev’s lawyers stressed in a statement he was “still considered innocent”.

The French Open semi-finalists defense attorneys, Dr. Anna Sophie Heuchemer and Katharina Dierlamm, released a statement saying: “The criminal proceedings against Alexander Zverev were today discontinued by the court with the consent of the prosecution, Mrs. Brenda Patea as a joint plaintiff, and Alexander Zverev’s defense attorney.

Alexander Zverev consented to this suspension through his defense attorney, solely to expedite the proceedings - especially in the interest of their child.

Alexander Zverev continues to be regarded as innocent. The suspension does not imply a finding of guilt or an admission of guilt. The legal presumption of innocence remains unaffected.”