Mass sexual assaults in Cologne on New Years Eve Part II

[Pinkchampchoccies]

Just in case people want to continue discussing this.

[LurcioAgain]

Link to previous thread

[Pinkchampchoccies]

Thanks Lurcio

[Elllicam]

Any chance of a quick synopsis? I've got about 4 pages into the last thread but my phone keeps crashing.

[SonyaAtTheSamovar]

Something occurred in Helsinki.

[CouncilOfLadies]

The Guardian is deleting all comments related to this without explanation. As a long-time reader, I'm appalled that once again, the Guardian is throwing women under the bus in much the same way as it did in the Rotherham case.

I'm cancelling my subscription.

[onthephone100]

Checking in. What's happening in Helsinki?

[VertigoNun]

.

[SonyaAtTheSamovar]

Sansoora's earlier posts about these events being organised to provoke seem less far fetched. As was said earlier though news stories are often garbled or plain wrong. Time will tell.

[SonyaAtTheSamovar]

Reports of harassment occurring, a gathering at the railway station similar tto Cologne but with forewarning by intel which led to possibly preemptive arrests with some men released after New Year.

[SonyaAtTheSamovar]

But police statement says no links to Germany.

[venusinscorpio]

It's amazing how many trolling and misogynistic comments the Guardian mods leave up though.

[LurcioAgain]

Ellicam Aside from what's actually in the press, I guess most of the discussion on the last thread centred round why it had taken so long for events to be reported, why there's so little in the way of op ed pieces, why the Guardian has got comments disabled on this... there are quite a lot of us (from all parts of the political spectrum) who suspect a deliberate attempt to downplay the seriousness of this because there's been a policy decision somewhere that women's rights come a long way second to avoiding inflaming racial tensions. Bit like Rotherham all over again.

There's also been some interesting discussion of the political and legal situation in Germany. It seems that the police completely messed up handling it, then covered up (even filing a report to the effect that the evening had passed off without event). Various German posters/posters from other countries living in Germany have pointed out that policing varies at federal level and the Cologne police are notoriously softly-softly. In addition, the Mayor of Cologne has been victim blaming like crazy. And (which I didn't know before) section 177 of the German criminal code turns out to have the most patriarchal definition of rape in Western Europe - "no" does not mean "no" in Germany, it's only rape if you actually fight back.
slightly wonky google translate version of German article on law concerning rape/sexual assault in Germany

I think that's a rough summary - others will no doubt fill in the gaps.

[Wordsaremything]

We need at the very least, to be writing to the Guardian asking why comments were disabled.very shocked and disappointed. Apologies if this has already been suggested.

I am your archetypal lentil-weaving guardian- reading lefty but I am growing increasingly uncomfortable with these issues. It started with the Jay report ( Rotherham). Charlie hebdo, Paris, Now this. Cognitive dissonance for those for whom that bit of jargon resonates.

I am beginning to speak out about it . Cautiously. It almost feels like being an ex cult member who has suddenly seen the truth- the truth about how we tie ourselves in intellectual knots defending what to me, is increasingly becoming indefensible double-think.

[Justanotherlurker]

www.politico.eu/article/europes-man-problem/

Read this earlier today which sort of chimes with what some people where highlighting on the previous thread.

[TwatTheNinja]

[polentapies]

With you Words. I could have written that myself

[bumblebeerat]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35248601

Is this what your talking about? There was a tiny clip about it on Instagram yesterday but hadn't seen anything else.

[Kreacherelf]

This NEEDS coverage! We need as many people as possible to come forward, so that we can prosecute those involved!

I feel that many will be too scared to report in fear of being branded racist, which is just stupid!

[Cellardoor1]

"What does Arabic or North African appearance mean then Cellardoor?"

It means exactly that. That based on their appearance they were North African or Arab men. Should all mention of that factual description have been removed from reports?

We here have been discussing the unsavoury aspects of their shared culture, not their race. No one has tarred everyone with the same brush. Most people have stressed not all Muslim men hold these views and certainly none have said that all Muslim men will attack women.

Even more shocking to see this may have been a coordinated multi country planned attack

[Justanotherlurker]

I think the DM was citing this report re other reports of assault

www.ibtimes.co.in/more-complaints-mass-sexual-assault-new-years-eve-surfaces-german-cities-662330

[Wordsaremything]

Thanks Polenta.

[fidel1ne]

Apols if this has already been covered (I can't read the whole previous thread - it keeps crashing) but there was talk of previous incidents in Hamburg and another German city (forget which) that weren't widely reported. Very similar to Koln. Has that been substantiated?

[Destinysdaughter]

Shockingly little in depth coverage of this in the mainstream media, it's so good to have these threads.

[SonyaAtTheSamovar]

When I Google the Helsinki story it is in online publications like the Straits Times and The Washington Post. I don't expect it will make the Guardian or Independent any time soon!

[polentapies]

If recent reports are to be believed, hundreds of women have been assaulted across Germany and Austria.

Either
a) there is a fundamental problem one or more cultures or;
b) there has been some level of conspiracy or;
c) the man cunt fairy was out on NYE

Which is it?