Appears in a video

Automatic Draft

One day after the allegations came to light, the cabaret artist addressed the public in a video.(Bild: Screenshot facebook.com/GuentherGUNKLPaal)

After the horrific allegations against Günther “Gunkl” Paal came to light— first reported by the “Krone” —the cabaret artist has spoken out in a video. “I have brought shame upon myself,” said the artist, who was charged on Wednesday with child sexual abuse and possession of child pornography.

“I deeply regret what I’ve done; I shouldn’t have done it,” said “Gunkl” in the video, which is just under four minutes long and was posted on Facebook. He said he had brought “shame” upon himself. The artist also addressed in detail the allegations of abuse against the girl, who was five years old at the time, saying he “deeply regrets” it and that it was “horrible.”

“There was a phase in my life when I was into that kind of video”
He also—and this is the second charge—had “some video material on computers in my possession.” There had been a phase in his life “when I was into that kind of video.” Then he had “forgotten” about the material when he got another computer. But now it had been seized from him. That was not only “unpleasant” for him—it was “horrible. You don’t want to be that kind of person—someone who had that—but that’s who I am,” Paal said.

The cabaret artist spoke out in a Facebook video:

“No one knew what was going on inside me”
He is very sorry and is prepared to “accept without objection” whatever punishment comes his way. No one knew what was “going on” inside him. He thought he could deal with it on his own—which is why he also wanted to advise everyone “who feels such inclinations within themselves” to seek help—above all to protect children.

Alfred Dorfer and Caroline Athanasiadis “shocked”
Some of his cabaret colleagues also commented on the case on Wednesday. “I was completely shaken” when I first heard “the disturbing news about my colleague Günther Paal,” wrote Alfred Dorfer, for example, in an Instagram Story. During their time working together on stage and on TV, there were “neither signs, hints, nor anything similar pointing in the direction of the rumors,” said the cabaret artist, who had shared the stage with “Gunkl” on the ORF show “Dorfers Donnerstalk,” among others.

Although there has been “virtually no personal contact” with Paal for twelve years, there remains “the dismay of not having harbored even the slightest suspicion or doubt,” Dorfer continued, concluding: “First and foremost, however, our thoughts must be with the child involved.”

Name Disclosure

You may be wondering why the suspect’s name was not initially mentioned in the first article. To explain: In the Teichtmeister case as well, the “Krone” knew long before the indictment that the serious allegations concerned him. Nevertheless, we decided to report anonymously during the initial stages of the investigation.

In the current case, ORF has made the name of its former star public. Furthermore, charges have been filed. Therefore, we, too, are naming the alleged perpetrator.

“… just because the accused comes across as likable”
My fellow cabaret artist Caroline Athanasiadis also wrote that the focus must be on the child involved; on Facebook, she expressed that she was “honestly shaken,” precisely because she “knows Paal personally and has shared the stage with him several times.” But saying “He was always nice to me” should “never be a counterargument. We must finally stop being less inclined to believe victims simply because the accused comes across as likable.” What is needed now is a thorough investigation.

“Gunkl” paid 150,000 euros in hush money
However, the abuse case has another shocking aspect: the mother and grandmother of the abused child are charged with aggravated extortion. They are accused of blackmailing Paal over the alleged abuse. The cabaret star paid 150,000 euros, but when the pressure became too great, he filed a police report and turned himself in in May. The two women are in pretrial detention.