German referee Pascal Kaiser is under police protection after being assaulted at home following a viral marriage proposal to his boyfriend during a Bundesliga match.
Pascal Kaiser, a 27-year-old German amateur referee, was violently assaulted at his home on the night of February 7.
The attack occurred just over a week after Kaiser made headlines by proposing to his partner, Moritz, in front of 50,000 spectators during a Bundesliga match in Cologne.
Following the viral moment, Kaiser was targeted with online hate speech and doxxing, which ultimately led to the physical confrontation.
The assault took place in Kaiser’s garden, where he was reportedly ambushed by three men.
Despite previously alerting authorities to specific threats against his residence, he was told there was “no immediate danger.”
He is now under police protection in a secure location. Kaiser, a vocal advocate for LGBTQIA+ visibility in football, stated: “I see this as my mission: to create visibility. To be a voice.”