Sound absorption element comprising a plate having a first plate surface which is intended to face a sound source and having a second plate surface which is situated opposite to the first plate surface and spaced apart therefrom by the thickness of the plate, and also two mutually opposite plate side surfaces (8, 10), wherein the plate has sound absorption gaps running in a transverse direction, which are continuous in a thickness direction and noncontinuous in the transverse direction and the width of which is in each case delimited by two gap side surfaces (14, 16) that are spaced apart from one another, and at least two sound absorption gaps are arranged successively in a longitudinal direction, a first part of the sound absorption gaps proceeds from a first of the two plate side surfaces and passes in the thickness direction through the plate on said side surface, a second part of the sound absorption gaps proceeds from the second of the two plate side surfaces and passes in the thickness direction through the plate on said side surface and in each case two sound absorption gaps which are successive in the longitudinal direction are arranged offset relative to one another and so as to overlap in the transverse direction, and wherein the sound absorption gaps are designed in such a way that their extent in the transverse direction of the plate continuously decreases, at least in certain portions, in the thickness direction, wherein the sound absorption gaps which are successive in the longitudinal direction overlap in the transverse direction on one of the plate surfaces, wherein two of the sound absorption gaps which are successive in the longitudinal direction also overlap or the ends thereof run flush with one another in the transverse direction on the other plate surface. wherein the plate has sound absorption gaps running in a transverse direction, which are continuous in a thickness direction and noncontinuous in the transverse direction and the width of which is in each case delimited by two gap side surfaces (14, 16) that are spaced apart from one another, and at least two sound absorption gaps are arranged successively in a longitudinal direction, a first part of the sound absorption gaps proceeds from a first of the two plate side surfaces and passes in the thickness direction through the plate on said side surface, a second part of the sound absorption gaps proceeds from the second of the two plate side surfaces and passes in the thickness direction through the plate on said side surface and in each case two sound absorption gaps which are successive in the longitudinal direction are arranged offset relative to one another and so as to overlap in the transverse direction, and wherein the sound absorption gaps are designed in such a way that their extent in the transverse direction of the plate continuously decreases, at least in certain portions, in the thickness direction, wherein the sound absorption gaps which are successive in the longitudinal direction overlap in the transverse direction on one of the plate surfaces, wherein two of the sound absorption gaps which are successive in the longitudinal direction also overlap or the ends thereof run flush with one another in the transverse direction on the other plate surface.