Four indicted in crime syndicate linked to death of German hockey goalie

Four have been indicted in Germany in connection with the death of a German hockey goalie who was brutally attacked two years ago.

Indictments were brought against one Dutchman and three Germans on charges of involuntary manslaughter and bodily harm resulting in death.

Bergkamener Bären goalie Florian Proske, 19, was attacked in August 2021 after a game against rival team ERC Ingolstadt’s second team.

German public broadcaster WDR previously reported that Proske and his teammates were attacked in the parking lot outside the rink in the town of Bergkamen, Germany. Ingolstadt won the game 8-2, according to the club’s website.

After the vandalism, Proske and his teammates headed for the locker room to change, per WDR. A group of masked men attacked the hockey players in the parking lot outside, according to the outlet, and they fought back.

When they took off their masks, the players saw the attackers were Ingolstadt fans, Proske's father said.

On Monday, a spokesperson for the Dortmund prosecutor's office told Reuters that the three Germans had been released from custody but were not allowed to leave Germany.

The fourth defendant, a Dutchman, remains in custody, the spokesperson told Reuters.

The indictment accuses the Dutchman of striking Proske from behind with a metal pole, causing him to fall and crack his skull, according to Reuters.

It said two German defendants allegedly held Proske and another allegedly kicked him.

A court date has not yet been set, a spokesperson for the Arnsberg regional court told Reuters.

After the attack, Proske was put in a coma but died a week later.

The Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), Germany's top-tier hockey league, released a statement saying it was "deeply shocked" and "mourning the loss of a young and talented ice hockey player."

The DEL said it would provide support to Proske's family and friends.