• Germany edition
Photo: DPA

Women's boxing champ shot by stepfather

Published: 4 Apr 11 09:03 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20110404-34159.html

World champion German boxer Rola El-Halabi is unlikely ever to fight again after she was shot repeatedly by her stepfather in her dressing room before a bout on Friday night.

Roy El-Halabi, who was also his stepdaughter’s manager until she sacked him in January, burst into the champ’s dressing room at the Berliner Trabrennbahn and shot her in the right hand, the left knee and both feet, news reports said.

The shooting happened just minutes before Rola El-Halabi was to fight for her third world title. She had sacked her stepfather as her manager in January after the pair fell out over the boxer’s new boyfriend.

She was warming up, her boxing gloves already on, just 10 minutes before her bout against Bosnian Irma Adler, when her stepfather burst into the room. Roy El-Halabi also shot two guards, both of whom are recovering in hospital.

The boxer had five operations over the weekend. Her promoter, Malte Müller-Michaelis told sports news wire SID: "Her operation went smoothly, but the shots were intended to end her career and it seems almost certain that that will happen.”

Rola El-Halabi told daily Bild: “Then Dad stormed in with a pistol, forced everyone out of the room and locked the two of us in. He shot me right away from three metres away in the right hand. It burned like hell and I screamed. But he kept shooting, next in my left foot, and I fell down, twisting my knee.

According to the boxer’s account, her stepfather yelled, “You’ve ruined my life.”
Rola El-Halabi replied, “Dad, calm down. We can talk.”

She continued: “While I was crumpled on the floor, he aimed at my knee, then the other foot. Each shot was like a punch. More and more blood was coming out of my shoes. It made me dizzy.”

Roy El-Halabi then turned himself over to the police at the scene. As he was taken away, he called, “Rola, Rola, please forgive me!”

His stepdaughter shouted back, “I hate you.”

Roy El-Halabi now faces up to 10 years’ jail for causing grievous bodily harm.

Rola El-Halabi was undefeated from 11 fights with six knockouts and has held two world titles in her career. Her bout Friday night was part of a comeback after a break from boxing.

The Local/djw

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Your comments about this article:

09:46 April 4, 2011 by dcgi
Cowardice of the highest degree
10:30 April 4, 2011 by hOU
And of course, he'll be out in 7 or 8 years w/ good behaviour.

Let's take a moment amongst ourselves to pray he'll be imprisoned on Sodomite Wing XXX

God bless Germany.
10:37 April 4, 2011 by authun
Scary "father" to have, but what's with the sadistically-twisted obsession with sodomy in prisons that is rampant in the States?

This is one of the most glaring signs to me as to how warped the society is becoming back home (I am Ami). There's no good in that ill will, I assure you, and I imagine there to be plenty more minor offenders swallowed up by that evil than awful predators.

That is sickness on a societal level.
12:19 April 4, 2011 by auniquecorn
@authun

Scary "father" to have, but what's with the sadistically-twisted obsession with sodomy in prisons that is rampant in the States?

Are you a perv? What does your comment have to do with getting shagged in American prisons? one of your Fantasies?
12:57 April 4, 2011 by michael4096
@auniquecorn - it's called 'revenge' and seems to substitute for justice in the minds of many forum posters
14:49 April 4, 2011 by Englishted
Still hard to get a gun in Germany I see
15:22 April 4, 2011 by Kanji
10 years??? after ruining someone life? Germany is heaven for such people then.
16:22 April 4, 2011 by Gretl
According to logic I've heard on this board, his anger wasn't at random people, so there is no need to punish him to deter others, and now that he has ruined her career, he won't do it again. So 4 injuries x 6 mos = 2 years? Maybe she can sue him for loss of income in a civil suit for EUR250,000.
16:29 April 4, 2011 by Altdude
There is displayed sufficient agression on "TheLocal" comment forums to substantially explain the cause of violent acts. Man's inhumanity to man takes various forms: verbal violence is fully included in that set.
18:31 April 4, 2011 by michael4096
@Gretl - you have it backwards. The question is not whether xx years will ever deter guys like this but how many years *will* deter guys like this? The answer is: it doesn't matter what number you come up with, you won't stop it. Execute them on the spot, and it still won't happen - this guy would still act the same way.

So, you can punish the guy all you want - and, to be honest, I feel pretty sick about it too - but don't pretend to yourself that you are preventing future tragedies - you are just seeking retribution.
18:49 April 4, 2011 by dizzyblondefrau
I feel so sorry for Rola. What an awful thing to happen to her. Her step-father is a selfish pig! Just goes to prove that government gun control never works. It sure never protects the innocent.
19:16 April 4, 2011 by derExDeutsche
Unreal. After reading this story, your crusade is against Guns? Guns are the problem here? What about knives? What about stones? What about rape? What about suffocation? Are all of those OK?

This happens everyday. Some stories make the News, the vast majority don't. What more can you outlaw, Germany? How about banning 'Honor Killing', dumdum. Or is it Sharia Law minus the guns, already?
19:54 April 4, 2011 by cobalisk
This is a terrible thing. This poor woman. Clearly she knew something was wrong when she fired him and clearly he had this premeditated and i hope he gets the max allowable under the law.

Sorry I scrolled down to read the comments though. For the people who claim that gun control is the problem special attention is needed. For one thing, please stop using every tragedy to push your agenda, its repulsive.

Secondly the argument is tissue paper thin: 'Gun control never protects the innocent.' Well, let's look at the details provided in the article...her hands were taped and her gloves were on, gee if only she had a gun in her locker, she could have...

Ever try shooting a gun with boxing gloves on?
20:11 April 4, 2011 by OkieinBerlin
derExdeutsche said it himself, that this happens every day. Idiots mixing with handguns, ruining peoples lives, because idiots can get handguns. You provide the perfect argument against handgun proliferation. I'm with you -- ban handguns!
21:13 April 4, 2011 by derExDeutsche
If the gun was already Illegal, then why would a Ban have stopped him?
21:43 April 4, 2011 by brigand
She would have kicked his a$$ if he hadn't had a gun!
22:22 April 4, 2011 by bramblebush
Comment removed by The Local for breach of our terms.
22:32 April 4, 2011 by derExDeutsche
@brigand

He wouldn't have missed with a knife.
02:25 April 5, 2011 by ron1amr
This poor woman who was world champion has potentially lost her career because her father did not accept her boyfriend. People that live in Germany should live like Germans. The saying when in Rome do what the Romans do. Even if these people pass an aptitude test, They still will revert to their ways in instances like these. But he may have ended her career but I bet she still go's out with her boyfriend. After he is released he may take action against her boyfriend. He will learn the ways in prison and may plan something after his release. These people do not stop till they end up doing something tragic. Then they will not have any remorse because it is their way. Such like honour killing. I think this type of attitude should not be tolerated and laws should be in place for these actions.
11:29 April 8, 2011 by Angry Ami
His honor was wounded, so he wounded her, so much for integration
11:10 April 9, 2011 by Bad News Bear
There is no REHAB for Stupidity!
20:51 April 9, 2011 by wxman
Just another case of that runaway German culture, what with all these "honor" attacks on family members. Oh, wait...
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