World

German police investigating mass sexual assaults during New Year's Eve

Police quoted witnesses as saying that the attackers "appeared to be of Arab origin"

Afp/news Desk January 05, 2016

people walk through the entrance of a market in cologne germany during new year 039 s eve photo afp

People walk through the entrance of a market in Cologne, Germany during New Year's Eve. PHOTO: AFP

BERLIN: The German police have started a massive investigation into the reports of a group of some 1,000 men carrying out a mass sexual assault on dozens of women during the New Year’s Eve, The Independent reported.

Police have received several complaints from women who said they were sexually assaulted, ranging from groping to at least one reported rape, allegedly committed in a large crowd of revellers during year-end festivities at Cologne city's main train station.

One of the victims claimed that she was raped in the centre of the city.

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Police in Cologne said they had received 90 criminal complaints by Tuesday and quoted witnesses as saying that groups of 20-30 young men "who appeared to be of Arab origin" had surrounded victims, assaulted them and in several cases robbed them.

Cologne Police Chief Wolfgang Albers said the case is “a completely new dimension of crime”.

"We assume more people will come forward," a police spokesperson told German news agency DPA.

The German government has also condemned dozens of apparently coordinated sexual assaults blamed on Arab men but warned against anti-migrant scapegoating.

Justice Minister Heiko Mass called for a thorough investigation of the rash of attacks.

"The authorities are working intensively to determine who was behind this," he told reporters, adding that the assaults had appeared to be "coordinated".

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Asked by a journalist whether the attackers could have been refugees, Maas said police were still working to identify them.

"This is not about where someone is from but what they did," he said.

"Making an issue out of it, lumping it together with the refugee issue, is nothing but exploitation. Now is the time to determine the facts and then decide on the necessary consequences."

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said he was also stunned by the "despicable" attacks.

"However this must not lead to refugees of whatever origin, who are seeking our protection from persecution, being placed under general suspicion."

Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker called a crisis meeting with political officials and police Tuesday after the case made national headlines.

In mid-October, Reker was stabbed in the neck in an attack apparently over her welcoming stance toward refugees.

COMMENTS (16)

Farru | 8 years ago | Reply European countries, especially Germany, are doing a great job by helping these refugees. I have all the sympathies, and we all should be grateful to Germans. Those who are involved in these incidents must be treated as per the law.

John | 8 years ago | Reply @ajeet What about Dalits?I'm sure Hindus consider some people untouchables to probably escape something right? Go read what B.R Ambedkar's writings on "Philoshphy of Hinduism" to truly grasp what Hindus actually are. If you want to know how good Hinduism is , Go ask the lowe castes!

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vinsin | 8 years ago | Reply @ajeet: It Jauhar not Sati, Sati was banned in 600 AD. They used to do Jauhar to escape necrophilia.

Vikram | 8 years ago | Reply Muslims brag a lot about zakat and how Islam is the fastest growing religion. Why don't Muslim countries take these refugees? I have a feeling Germany will have a big economic setback in next few years

omar | 8 years ago | Reply those immigrants that are found guily should definately be deported.

omar | 8 years ago | Reply @Malik Saab:IT IS TRUE!

ajeet | 8 years ago | Reply They are following the standard Islamic practice as followed since ancient times and now followed against non Muslim women in Syria and Iraq. Hindu women used to do sati to escape these barbarians.

FurTrapper | 8 years ago | Reply It really is unbelievable the difference between civilizations. In the West, groups of Afghan, Pakistani, Indians, Arabs etc. in Europe regularly sexually assault women and the government says we should not jump to conclusions or stereotype the perpetrators. Imagine, if the tables were turned and groups of American/European/Canadian etc. expatriates sexually attacked veiled Arab women on a festive Muslim holiday in a Middle Eastern country. Our governments would denounce their actions and apologize to the respective governments, while our embassies would be burned down, Arabs would denounce these attacks by infidels/ non-Muslims and any innocent Westerner would flee for their lives, fearful of retaliatory attacks. The West response to the criminals…zero.

European | 8 years ago | Reply "According to police, witnesses described the assaults as being committed by men of "Arab or North African origin"" This is something that has been happening regularly in many of the European countries which have taken in large numbers of Muslim "refugees"' Unfortunately, the media only wants to show us pictures of innocent children and crying mothers (which turns out to be a small proportion of the total number of "refugees") to gain sympathy. Only when you read comments from actual citizens of these countries who live with these atrocities committed frequently by Muslim men on a day to day basis, do you begin to realize that the political correct media refuses to give us the whole story.

John | 8 years ago | Reply @Pegida: I have my sympathies and support for the German nation.German's don't need to put up with happenings like then after helping the most with the refugees problems.Find them ,prosecute them and send them back to wherever they came from and whoever they are

Sandip | 8 years ago | Reply What is this? Is this how the German generosity is getting repaid by these monsters. The despicable acts will only make it more difficult for anyone anywhere in the world to help muslims.

Malik Saab | 8 years ago | Reply @Pegida: Germans are following the footsteps of Donald Trump and they are pitching Non Muslims against the Muslims. Also they are fanning the new form of Racism. German media is using the line Arabic looking men. What is meant by that?. How could you generalize any population as diverse as Arabian people. For your information Arabic is not some race. This include Black, White, Brown people. Half of the population of Syria is White. You cannot differentiate between them and in a European. Even many North Africans are White. But obviously to racist Germans these White Arabs have no problem. Even many Indians and Pakistanis look Arabic. So we are the culprits as well?. So a White Syrian is an Angel and Arabic looking ( Brown one ) is the culprit. Could you explain what is meant by Arabic looking?. The reality is that Germans love to stereotype and they want to make a new enemy and now they are stereotyping the typical brown person as their enemy.

Animal Farm | 8 years ago | Reply Nothing surprising when you realise what happened to TV journalist Lara Logan who thought the best way to understand the Arab Spring is to be among the thousands of Muslim men in the Tahrir Square.. In Sweden,70% of rapes are done by the immigrants who are only 5% of the population

G. Din | 8 years ago | Reply @Pegida: You must thank Frau Merkel for Merkel's Folly. Take my word, you are in for a great deal than just groping and raping.

HonestSignal | 8 years ago | Reply This appears to confirm the suspicion that most of the male migrants who have flooded Germany in recent years from the Middle-East, North Africa, and South Asia were not fleeing persecution or war, but seeking to fulfil personal needs, comfort and free stuff. These attacks in Cologne were just the tip of the iceberg. In many other German cities the same thing happened, but the reports are suppressed by media and police policies which state that the ethnicity of the offenders is not be mentioned.

Pegida | 8 years ago | Reply We Germans opened our doors for these refugees, and this is how they repay us? By raping German women and injuring many others with fireworks? At first I was a bit indifferent about the refugee influx, but now I am extremely against it. This is not how you behave in your host society.

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