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State interior minister of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] Ralf Jäger said, "We will not accept that groups of North African men gather expressly for the purpose of debasing women by sexually assaulting them."<ref name=DW3/> He said police had to "adjust" to the fact that groups of men had attacked women. He also spoke against anti-immigrant groups, saying: "What happens on the right-wing platforms and in chat rooms is at least as awful as the acts of those assaulting the women... This is poisoning the climate of our society."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35248601 |title=Cologne sex attacks 'require police rethink' - BBC News |publisher=Bbc.com |date=1970-01-01 |accessdate=2016-01-08}}</ref>
State interior minister of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] Ralf Jäger said, "We will not accept that groups of North African men gather expressly for the purpose of debasing women by sexually assaulting them."<ref name=DW3/> He said police had to "adjust" to the fact that groups of men had attacked women. He also spoke against anti-immigrant groups, saying: "What happens on the right-wing platforms and in chat rooms is at least as awful as the acts of those assaulting the women... This is poisoning the climate of our society."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35248601 |title=Cologne sex attacks 'require police rethink' - BBC News |publisher=Bbc.com |date=1970-01-01 |accessdate=2016-01-08}}</ref>

Members of the [[Pro NRW]] held a small rally in front of the central railway station, criticizing Merkel's stance on immigration. A larger number of counter-protesters at the site were cited shouting phrases such as "down with the Nazi plague" at the Pro NRW members.<ref>{{cite news|author=Frank Jordans|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=6 January 2016|accessdate=7 January 2016|title= Cologne divided over who’s to blame for sexual assaults |url=http://www.sltrib.com/home/3387320-155/cologne-divided-over-who-to-blame}}</ref><ref>Kölnische Rundschau: [http://www.rundschau-online.de/koeln/pronrw-und-gegendemo-wenig-zulauf-bei-demo-am-hauptbahnhof,15185496,33465528.html Wenig Zulauf bei Demo am Hauptbahnhof]</ref>


===Local population===
===Local population===

Revision as of 05:03, 9 January 2016

New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Germany
Cities where incidents were reported
LocationGermany
Date31 December 2015 (2015-12-31)–1 January 2016 (2016-01-01) (CET)
TargetYoung German women returning home after New Year's celebrations [1]
Attack type
Sexual assault, rape and robbery
VictimsAt least 2 rapes and ~200 sexual assaults and robberies (Cologne)[2][3][4][5]
No. of participants
At least 31[6], Possibly 1000+ men of Arab and North African appearance[7][8][9][10]

During the 31 December 2015 New Year's Eve celebrations, widespread sexual assaults, theft, and at least two instances of rape—all targeted at women—were reported across Germany, primarily within Cologne.[11] Other cities with known incidents include Berlin, Bielefeld, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Stuttgart.[12] In addition, similar assaults in Austria, Finland, and Switzerland were reported.[13]

Former Cologne police chief Wolfgang Albers, who was suspended on January 8 because of allegations of misinformation in the days after the event, told the BBC that the sexual assault perpetrators were of "Arab or North African descent" and called the incident "a completely new dimension of crime". It was later revealed by police that 18 of the 31 suspects checked by the Federal Police on New Year's Eve were asylum seekers,[6] which were suspected of grievous bodily harm, robbery and theft, while sexual assaults have not been linked to them, but offenses classified as "insulting on a sexual base".[10][14][failed verification] There are further 21 suspects identified by the Cologne police, which were not taken into custody so far.[10] There are various further indications that asylum seekers were involved, such as reports by policemen.[15] More than a week after the attacks, Cologne Police announced two arrests.[16] At the same time, Albers was placed on "interim" retirement.[17]

The attacks were condemned by Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker.[12] The police response and delayed media reaction were met with criticism from German citizens, with some placing blame on the European migrant crisis.[12]

The assaults were unreported in the media for days, leading to accusations that the authorities and the media attempted to ignore or cover up the attacks to avoid criticism against the current asylum and migration policy of the government.[1][18][19]

Incidents

Cologne main square between the central railway station and the city's cathedral

According to former Cologne police chief Wolfgang Albers and the victims, the men were "of Arab or North African appearance" between ages 15 and 35, who could not speak German.[20][2][1][21] The perpetrators were reported to be up to 1,000 heavily intoxicated men of Arab or North African appearance;[7][8] however, later reports by Deutsche Presse-Agentur indicated this number to be representative of the total number of men present at the central railway station rather than the number of assailants.[22] The assaults appeared to be coordinated, the perpetrators having arrived in large groups. A group of around 500 had thrown firecrackers into the crowd assembled at the square, and exploited the confusion caused as a way to rob and sexually assault.[23] The men tightly surrounded women in groups of 30–40, according to witnesses, separating them from friends in the process.[24] According to the Cologne police report on 2 January, the suspects mostly utilized sexual assault to distract victims from robbery, namely valuable items such as mobile phones and wallets. They also indicated that the size of the groups was between 2 and 20 people.[25]

On January 7, several anonymous police officers from Cologne denied statements that the police did not know about the nationality of the perpetrators; they told the press that "most of them" would have been freshly immigrated asylum seekers. Contradicting statements from Cologne police leaders, these officers said that the identities of many people, including arrestees, had been thoroughly checked, so that police knew which groups of people were involved. Around 70 people had been checked, and several brought to police stations or taken into custody. The majority of those in detention were Syrians. Also, they denied information that the sexual harassments were only incidental, saying that the truth was "exactly the opposite": Most Arab perpetrators sought primarily to commit sexual offenses, or in their words "sexual amusement".[26] Arnold Plickert, North Rhine Westphalia's representative of German police union Gewerkschaft der Polizei confirmed that asylum seekers where "definitely" involved.[15][27]

The Federal Ministry of the Interior acknowledged on January 8, that two thirds of the suspects checked by the Federal Police—who are responsible for the railways and railway stations in Germany—in Cologne were asylum seekers. The same report stated that 31 suspects were identified by name including 18 asylum seekers. In total among the suspects were nine Algerians, eight Moroccans, four Syrians, five Iranians, an Iraqi, a Serb, an American and two Germans.[6] Another report from the same day stated that stolen mobile phones were located by the police within or in the vicinity of refugees' residences.[28]

By January 7 the number of complaints to the police in Hamburg increased to 70.[29] By 8 January, around 200 women including a police officer had made complaints to the police, including two rapes, with the events taking place in the main square between the station and Cologne Cathedral and within and outside the central railway station.[3][4][30][5][28] Similar events took place in Hamburg—specifically Reeperbahn, St. Pauli[20]—and Frankfurt, where 53 and 40 women, respectively, reported being sexually assaulted or robbed.[31][32][22] Attacks were also reported in Düsseldorf, and Stuttgart.[20][33][3][24]

Police response

Cologne police Twitter post describing atmosphere as "playful" on New Year's morning

In Cologne, police dispatched 143 local officers and 70 federal officers to restore order. However, due to darkness and the number of people involved, police chief Wolfgang Albers conceded that their efforts were not effective.[23]

Cologne police came under criticism for their handling of the situation, as they initially described the New Year's Eve celebrations as "playful." One victim who was robbed and assaulted was told to report the incident elsewhere by the police.[2] Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière also criticized the the North Rhine-Westphalia police for describing the celebrations as "peaceful."[34] Police chief Wolfgang Albers rejected the criticism, calling the assaults "a completely new dimension of crime."[33] Düsseldorf police expressed concern that the attacks were linked to a known gang of roughly 2,000 North African men.[22][35] On January 7th the police acknowledged an information blackout until the interior committee of the parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia discusses the events on Monday 11th. On the same day a report by a leading police officer in Cologne on New Years Eve was linked to several newspapers. It includes criticism that the number of police forces was too small to deal with the events.[5] According to the report the perpetrators acted "with a disrespect I didn't see in 29 years of service." Some shouted: "I am Syrian! You have to treat me friendly. Mrs Merkel has invited me!" Others tore their immigration papers while saying: "You can't do me anything. Tomorrow I will go and get new papers."[36] Because of the allegations of misinformation and the "loss of public trust" police chief Wolfgang Albers was "temporarily" suspended from office on January 8.[37]

Suspects and detainees

There were conflicting reports about the number of detainees. According to first reports by the BBC eight suspects, all asylum seekers, were detained in Cologne, though no official statement on their involvement was made.[20] Further reports said, that five men from ages 18 to 24 were arrested, though were later found to have committed unrelated crimes.[22] Reports on January 7 suggested that police officials detained more people, namely asylum seekers, on New Year's Eve than they admitted publicly.[15] According to a police report leaked to the media there were 71 people controlled, 11 were arrested, 4 were taken into custody on New Year's Eve.[38] As of January 7, the police of Cologne only officially confirmed that there are 16 suspects.[38]

On January 8, Cologne Police announced the arrest of two suspects in connection with the attacks. They were identified – in keeping with German privacy law – as Issam D., 16, of Morocco, and Mohamed T., 23, of Tunisia. Both were said to be asylum seekers. On their mobile phones the police said they found video footage of assaults on New Year's Eve. Also found was a piece of paper with Arabic-German translations of derogatory sexual terms.[39]

As of 8 January, Federal Police had identified 31 suspects among whom were 18 identified asylum seekers. Of the 31 suspects, 17 were said by the Interior Ministry to be Algerian or Moroccan. There were 2 Germans and one U.S. citizen among the suspects identified.[40] A further 21 suspects were later identfied by the Police of Cologne.[10]

Reactions

Local government

Cologne mayor Henriette Reker (l.) and police chief Wolfgang Albers (c.) in a press conference on 5 January 2016.

The Mayor of Cologne Henriette Reker called for women to follow a "code of conduct," including staying at an "arm's length" from strangers[41][42] and later came under criticism. By the evening of January 5, #einearmlänge ("an arm's length") became one of Germany's top-trending hashtags on Twitter.[34] Reker called a crisis meeting with the police in response to the incidents.[20][2] Reker called it "completely improper" to link the perpetrators to refugees.[33]

State interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia Ralf Jäger said, "We will not accept that groups of North African men gather expressly for the purpose of debasing women by sexually assaulting them."[7] He said police had to "adjust" to the fact that groups of men had attacked women. He also spoke against anti-immigrant groups, saying: "What happens on the right-wing platforms and in chat rooms is at least as awful as the acts of those assaulting the women... This is poisoning the climate of our society."[43]

Local population

On 5 January, around 200 to 300 women protested outside the Cologne Cathedral demanding respect for women and action from Chancellor Angela Merkel.[34][44] Many German people reacted with fear and concern. According to arms dealers and Amazon the sales of pepper spray, which already increased since the beginning of the European migrant crisis, saw another increase. The sales of one German manufacturer raised by 700 percent in the last year. Also "pepper spray" is among the most searched terms according to Google Trends, with figures further rising after the events in Cologne and elsewhere. Pepper spray is the only legal weapon for self-defense in Germany, though it is meant to only be sold for defense against animals.[45] In Düsseldorf, where 15 complaints to the police in connection with sexual assaults were made, a vigilante group was founded as a reaction to the events. The related Facebook page of the "Düsseldorf passt auf" ("Düsseldorf watches out") group has managed to get more than 3.300 members within 2 days. The Düsseldorf police denounced their activities and referred to the monopoly on legitimate use of force of the German state.[46]

Federal politics

Chancellor Angela Merkel and Justice Minister Heiko Maas condemned the assaults. Maas described the assaults as a "completely new dimension of organized criminality."[2] Merkel contacted Reker, calling for a tough response.[47] She said everything must be done "to find the perpetrators as quickly and comprehensively as possible and punish them, regardless of their origin or background," and promised preventive measures for the carnival in February.[1][44][33] Sigmar Gabriel (SPD), vice chancellor and Minister for Economics, demanded quicker deportations of sentenced criminal migrants. There should be "zero tolerance for criminality and sexual assaults"[48]. Claudia Roth (Green Party) stated that the attacks could not be exculpated, but that they were "not the first eruptions of sexual violence in our society". She accused an "organised mob" on the Internet of "calling for a hunt on non-white people and taking revenge".[49]

Media

Several media outlets only started reporting on the incidents on January 5, a move that was criticised by several politicians, including Hans-Peter Friedrich.[50] The public television channel ZDF later acknowledged that they had failed to report on the incidents despite having sufficient knowledge to do so.[51] This has reinforced discontent previously held by the German public with news coverage relating to the European migrant crisis as well as a readiness to support the idea of the "Lügenpresse" (literally lying press).[52]

International reaction

There were reports of tourists cancelling trips to Cologne in the aftermath of the attacks, including one tour group calling off their entire summer schedule in the city.[53]

Poland

Poland's Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski sent an official letter to Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, asking if there were any Polish citizens hurt during the events. Waszczykowski criticized the German authorities for their handling of the situation and stated that it is likely that German government tried to conceal the events and ban people from telling others about these events. Waszczykowski stated that in his view the migration wave to Europe (which he linked to the events) was used by the Islamic State or other terrorist organizations.[54][55]

Slovakia

Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico called for an emergency summit of EU in wake of the attacks, and declared he will act to stop Muslim refugees from entering the country. Fico stated "We don't want something like what happened in Germany taking place in Slovakia".[56]

Czech Republic

On 8 January, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka issued a statement supporting Slovakia's proposal.[57]

Incidents in other countries

Similar attacks on New Year's Eve were reported outside of Germany by 7 January in Austria, Finland, and Switzerland.[13] In Finland, the National Bureau of Investigation denied initial suspicions that assaults similar to those in Cologne had been planned in Helsinki.[58] The police department of Helsinki received information relating to three cases of sexual harassment, of which two have led to a report of an offence.[59]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Reports of Attacks on Women in Germany Heighten Tension Over Migrants". Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e "A 'new dimension' of sexual assault in Cologne". Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Mehr als 100 Anzeigen nach Übergriffen an Silvester - FAZ.net, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, in German
  4. ^ a b Polizei stockt Ermittlungsgruppe deutlich auf - Tagesspiegel.de, Der Tagesspiegel, in German
  5. ^ a b c Interner Polizeibericht zu Kölner Silvesternacht: "Es waren einfach zu viele zur gleichen Zeit", Der Spiegel, in German
  6. ^ a b c "Polizei identifiziert nach Kölner Übergriffen weitere Verdächtige". Die Welt. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  7. ^ a b c "String of New Year's Eve sexual assaults outrages Cologne". Deutsche Welle. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Cologne Police Chief Condemns Sex Assaults on New Year's Eve". The New York Times. Associated Press. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  9. ^ "Asylbewerber unter Verdächtigen von Köln". Zeit Online. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d Verdächtige Männer hatten Sex-Spickzettel dabei, Die Welt, in German.
  11. ^ Charlton, Corey; Mailonline, Imogen Calderwood For (6 January 2016). "Teenage victims of Cologne sex mob describe harrowing ordeal". Mail Online. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  12. ^ a b c "Germany Shocked by Cologne New Year Gang Assaults on Women" (5 January 2015). BBC News. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  13. ^ a b "New Year's Eve sex assaults also reported in Finland, [Switzerland] and Austria". news.com.au. News Corp Australia Network. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  14. ^ "Übergriffe in Silvesternacht: Asylbewerber unter Verdächtigen von Köln". Die Zeit (in German). 8 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  15. ^ a b c "Die meisten waren frisch eingereiste Asylbewerber", Die Welt, in German
  16. ^ "German police arrest two suspects after violence in Cologne". Reuters. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  17. ^ [hhttp://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35261359 "Cologne police chief removed after New Year Eve attacks"]. BBC. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  18. ^ "Reports of New Year's Eve sex assaults in Cologne fuel German migrant debate". Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  19. ^ "Cover-up claim over NYE mass sexual assaults". Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  20. ^ a b c d e "Germany shocked by Cologne New Year gang assaults on women". Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  21. ^ "German police search for 1,000 men after mass sexual assault in Cologne". Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  22. ^ a b c d "Police investigate organized crime ring's links to Cologne attacks". Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  23. ^ a b "Cover-up claim over NYE mass sexual assaults". The Local. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  24. ^ a b Kate Connolly (6 January 2016). "Tensions rise in Germany over handling of mass sexual assaults in Cologne". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  25. ^ "POL-K: 160102-1-K Übergriffe am Bahnhofsvorplatz - Ermittlungsgruppe gegründet". presseportal.de.
  26. ^ "Vorrangig ging es den Tätern um Sexualstraftaten", Die Welt, in German
  27. ^ Übergriffe an Silvester: Auch Flüchtlinge unter Verdächtigen in Köln, Der Spiegel, in German
  28. ^ a b Silvesternacht in Köln: Ermittler orten gestohlene Handys in Flüchtlingsheimen, Der Spiegel, in German
  29. ^ Hamburgs Nacht der Schande und das lange Schweigen, Hamburger Abendblatt, in German
  30. ^ Als meine Freundin hinfiel, haben sich direkt vier Männer auf sie gestürzt - Focus.de, Focus, in German
  31. ^ Schon 53 Anzeigen in Hamburg nach Silvester-Übergriffen - Abendblatt.de, Hamburger Abendblatt, in German
  32. ^ "New Year sex attacks in Frankfurt, police say". The Local. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  33. ^ a b c d "Cologne sex attacks: Merkel disgust at New Year gang assaults". BBC News. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  34. ^ a b c "Twitter storm as Cologne mayor suggests women stay at 'arm's length' from strangers". Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  35. ^ "Germany sex assaults could be linked to criminal gang". Cologne, Germany: CBS News. Associated Press. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  36. ^ Das Protokoll zur Kölner Chaos-Nacht zum Nachlesen, Die Welt, in German
  37. ^ Einsatz in der Silvesternacht: Kölns Polizeipräsident in einstweiligen Ruhestand versetzt, Der Spiegel, in German
  38. ^ a b Das verschwieg uns die Kölner Polizei, Bild, in German
  39. ^ "Übergriffe an Silvester: Kölner Polizei nimmt zwei Verdächtige fest". Der Spiegel. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  40. ^ Troianovski, Anton (8 January 2016). "Germany Says Asylum Seekers Among Suspects in Cologne New Year's Eve Assaults". New York Times. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  41. ^ "Mayor of Cologne says women should have code of conduct to prevent future assault". Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  42. ^ citation (starting 16:16): es ist immer eine Möglichkeit, eine gewisse Distanz zu halten, die weiter als eine Armlänge betrifft - also von sich aus schon gar nicht eine große Nähe zu suchen zu Menschen, die einem fremd sind; zu denen man kein gutes Vertrauensverhältnis hat Video (german)
  43. ^ "Cologne sex attacks 'require police rethink' - BBC News". Bbc.com. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  44. ^ a b "Cologne sex attacks: Women protest against assaults by gangs". Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  45. ^ Deutsche decken sich massenhaft mit Pfefferspray ein, Die Welt, in German
  46. ^ Die selbsternannten Aufpasser von Düsseldorf, Frankfurter Allgemeine, in German
  47. ^ "Germans shaken by New Year attacks on women in Cologne". Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  48. ^ SPIEGEL ONLINE, Hamburg, Germany (8 January 2016). "Köln: Sigmar Gabriel fordert schnellere Abschiebungen". SPIEGEL ONLINE.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  49. ^ "Mob ruft zur Jagd auf nicht weiße Menschen auf", Die Welt, in German
  50. ^ "In den Sozialen Netzwerken sind die... - Hans-Peter Friedrich | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  51. ^ Scheer, Ursula (5 January 2016). "Übergriffe in Köln Eine Männergruppe und ihr Hintergrund". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in Deutsch). ISSN 0174-4909. Retrieved 6 January 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  52. ^ Köcher, Renate (16 December 2015). "Allensbach-Studie Mehrheit fühlt sich über Flüchtlinge einseitig informiert". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in Deutsch). ISSN 0174-4909. Retrieved 6 January 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  53. ^ Ross, Eleanor (7 January 2016). "Tourists cancel trips to Cologne fearing 'life and limb' after claims of 1,000 men attacking 100 women on New Year's Eve". The Independent. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  54. ^ "Spotkanie Kaczyński Orban w Zielonej Owieczce i ataki w Kolonii - Polska - Newsweek.pl". Newsweek.pl.
  55. ^ "Wyborcza.pl".
  56. ^ After Cologne, Slovakian PM Fico seeks emergency EU summit Deutsche Welle 08.01.16
  57. ^ After Cologne, Slovakian PM Fico seeks emergency EU summit Deutsche Welle 08.01.16
  58. ^ Kirsi, Katri (7 January 2016). "KRP:n tutkinnanjohtaja: Suomessa ei suunniteltu vastaavaa kuin Kölnissä". YLE. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  59. ^ "Poliisi varautui uuden vuoden häirintään tehostetusti - kaikista ahdisteluyrityksistä tulee ilmoittaa poliisille". Poliisi. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
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