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Mass sexual assaults in Cologne on New Years Eve

999 replies

Cellardoor1 · 04/01/2016 22:20

I've just read this and I'm shocked that such a thing could happen. A group of around 1,000 men gathered and assaulted at least 60 women and girls and also pickpocketed people. Apparently the news wasn't released until now out of fears it could stir up tension as the men appeared to be of Arab/North African appearance, possibly refugees.

abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/cologne-police-chief-condemns-sex-assaults-years-eve-36083833

OP posts:
MariscallRoad · 07/01/2016 02:40

NoSuch
I am sure the crimes will be investigated in Germany and the m*rFrs will be found. In UK we also have people who follow their culture and are not integrated and besides some resort in abuses within family such as arranged marriages. It takes 2-3 generations to change. I read the policy of integration in Germany and is quite remarkable because there is money to put it into place. I dont think Merkel decided the open door policy because of guilt. She is an educated politician that did not want to see refugees drowned in the Aegean sea. I am sure Angela will put things right in Cologne. The events in Cologne were planted by some persons and we will find what happened. The effort now should be that the bad things must not be repeated. If Germany does not give a home to the desparate from war who is going to do the job?

fourmummy · 07/01/2016 06:48

Should the perpetrators turn out to be second or third generation immigrants / homegrown, the situation would be even worse as previous posters have already said. It would show that integration has gone even worse than everyone previously thought it is already well known that integration is not happening. This is a huge problem. People spending years on welfare, unemployed, not speaking the language even after 20 years, not participating in society, actively hating this society, living in their own mini-culture within a culture, . The figures are out there.

MephistophelesApprentice · 07/01/2016 07:49

Causing mass migration is a very effective military tactic for a group like Isis - it requires minimum effort beyond what they're already doing, it massively depletes the security resources of the target, it undermines civilian morale through precisely this sort of impact and it permits their agents to infiltrate alongside the innocent.

noeffingidea · 07/01/2016 07:56

fourmummy it was obvious back in the 70's that integration wasn't going to happen for a certain group of immigrants.

visitorfromgermany · 07/01/2016 08:07

The usual reaction in germany, if you dare to say that some immigrants are not integrated even in second or third generation, is, that it is our fault because WE didn't do enough to integrate them. But I thing that a certain amount is not the least bit Interested or willing to integrate themselves.
In fact some people seem to think, the mass assaults were somehow selfmade by the german people. They didn' t work Hard enough to make these man welcome, integrated and failed to convince them tofollowing our ules and moral ideas. Quite embarassing for german women, the discussion here.

batshitlady · 07/01/2016 08:07

Does anyone believe Merkel will still be leader in a couple of years time?

I read somewhere that the German birthrate is so astonishingly low, that's one reason she's allowed so many immigrants to settle recently. Getting the Gastarbeiter in now...

I too am concerned with the rate of immigration into Europe in general. European culture is on a precipice now it seems and is in the process of changing forever. At my DD's inner London primary school the 2nd language isn't a European one ~ it's Arabic. Well that's all fine, just as long as we are aware of what we are allowing to happen, or rather what our complacent politicians are allowing to happen.

Egosumquisum · 07/01/2016 08:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fourmummy · 07/01/2016 08:15

noeffingidea Quite, but the politicians had other ideas in exchange for self-enrichment (Just read an interview with German police officer who says that they've been dealing with this for years). The only unknowns now are a) why have things ramped up so much recently and b) what can be done about it

batshitlady · 07/01/2016 08:25

It is.........Just as long as the Guardian's moderator agrees with you Ego.

noeffingidea · 07/01/2016 08:39

four I suppose it's just a matter of numbers. I don't know much about Germany. In the area I grew up in (Newcastle) there were quite a lot of south Asian immigrants. Those of us who went to school and work with them became quickly aware that sikhs and hindus were happy to mix in, muslims kept themselves to themselves.
There was also a massive amount of racism amongst white British people at the time. Our society has tackled that (though not erradicated it of course. Personally I think racism will always exist to some extent).
I think it's women that notice it the most because it's women that are on the receiving end of the disrespect.

IWantSantasNewToyInMyStocking · 07/01/2016 08:48

Just listened to the new this morning where German police have said they can't guarantee women's safety and then we heard a police officer basically telling women that they need to look after themselves and avoid places where large groups of people might gather - so basically any event then. Hmm. ffs, again it's all about women moderating their behaviour, stay indoors and you'll be fine, go outside and, well, what do you expect.

BitOutOfPractice · 07/01/2016 08:52

Can you imagine if the police said that about any other group I want? That they can't guarantee the safety of any other group. There would be uproar. But it's ok for women. We need to know our place.

NoSuchThingAsTooMuchLemon · 07/01/2016 08:58

it is already well known that integration is not happening. This is a huge problem. People spending years on welfare, unemployed, not speaking the language even after 20 years, not participating in society, actively hating this society, living in their own mini-culture within a culture, . The figures are out there.

To say "integration is not happening" is a blanket statement that doesn't reflect the reality of things and is also quite offensive to the many, many second or third generation immigrants who speak the language, are well educated, work and respect and share our liberal Western values.

Of course what you are saying sadly does apply to a pretty significant number of people, I don't think anyone is still denying that. Crude generalization aren't helpful though and there don't seem to be any easy solutions. To varying degrees we see these problems in most countries with a significant number of immigrants from certain cultures, be it Germany, France, Sweden or the UK. While we know that a lot of things have been going very wrong for a very long time, the events of Cologne are in my view a new quality of crime. Hence my statement that integration is going even worse than everyone previously thought.

I am sure the crimes will be investigated in Germany and the mrFrs will be found.*

How would that work? No arrests so far, but apparently there are "three suspects" now. How very promising.
Whoever did this will most likely get away with it. Impossible to identify the perpetrators, let alone convict them. I feel so sorry for those poor victims.

It takes 2-3 generations to change.

Sadly even 2-3 generations later, a significant percentage is not integrated at all or even makes less of an effort than their parents or grandparents.
I'm also not willing to wait 2 or 3 generations for anyone who has come here as a guest to understand that in Europe women have rights and aren't second class citizens...or at least shouldn't be. It's really not that hard to understand and whoever doesn't (want to) get it can fuck off back to where they came from as long as we can still get rid of them.

I read the policy of integration in Germany and is quite remarkable because there is money to put it into place.

Not sure I have seen any ideas that sound particularly promising. We haven't managed to properly integrate a much smaller number of people in previous decades. Why would we all of a sudden get it right with over a million new arrivals now?
Obviously we need to try our very best, doing nothing is not an option. None of the current plans seem all that revolutionary or like anywhere near enough though.

I dont think Merkel decided the open door policy because of guilt. She is an educated politician that did not want to see refugees drowned in the Aegean sea. I am sure Angela will put things right in Cologne.

Her open door policy did fuck all to save people from drowning in the Mediterranean Sea. In fact it encouraged a lot more people to go on such a dangerous journey in the first place.
I personally think "Angela" is completely deluded and has lost control of things quite some time ago. Declaring an open door policy with consulting the German parliament and our European neighbours first was a catastrophic move. I'm all for helping Syrian refugees but it would have been so much better to have a proper plan in place before we (read Angela) act.

IWantSantasNewToyInMyStocking · 07/01/2016 08:59

Exactly Bit, it's all about us knowing our place. Just so depressing in 2016.

batshitlady · 07/01/2016 09:00

I'm extremely disappointed to see that none my favourite left leaning, and/or media watchdog websites have a single word comment on this issue. Not a word!

Not a sausage in the way of comment from any of my fave bloggers - nor on -
World Socialist Website, Media Lens, Znet, Red Pepper, Democracy now, The Lifeboat News, The New Statesman,

Tell a lie - 1 scant article on NS' website, saying on the one hand how xenophobic the Germans are and then goes all placatory about the lot of 'poor little ole' women'.

NoSuchThingAsTooMuchLemon · 07/01/2016 09:02

That should have been "without consulting", obviously.

IWantSantasNewToyInMyStocking · 07/01/2016 09:03

The lack of media coverage is astonishing, it has really only been in the last day or two and even then it has been passing comment only.

Igneococcus · 07/01/2016 09:05

I know from my brother who works in finance for the biggest German charity that provides services like language courses to immigrants amongst other things that they are struggling. They had to cut some services they provided for years because they need to spend the money on housing new arrivals. So there will be less spend on integration on more people. Not a good prospect.

NoSuchThingAsTooMuchLemon · 07/01/2016 09:07

The mayor of Cologne actually had the brass neck to defend her "armlaenge" and code of conduct crap even after the massive backlash in newspapers and on social media. Now more of that shit from the police. I honestly despair...what the fuck is wrong with these people??!

Moreshabbythanchic · 07/01/2016 09:13

How can we expect immigrants to integrate when we keep changing our ways to accommodate them, we have now changed the dates for children taking exams to allow for Ramadan. If we carry on in this vein we will lose our culture altogether and it will be us that has to integrate with them.

Pinkchampchoccies · 07/01/2016 09:15

" they can't guarantee women's safety and then we heard a police officer basically telling women that they need to look after themselves and avoid places where large groups of people might gather"

This is outrageous and a step towards a new dark age. If Germany cannot protect law and order there ought to be curfews for all citizens. If women are unable to attend gatherings, nobody should be allowed to gather in groups any longer. They should cancel the carnival, they should close the train stations to people who haven't got a valid train ticket (buy ticket online or fuck off). Close parks after dark etc.

Sorry for bolding:

Having listened to- and read several witness accounts by women who were assaulted and intimidated by these men, the mayor of Cologne should acknowledge that her 'arm length' comments were ignorant and offensive and apologise to the victims. It is clear that the victims desperately tried to get away from their perpetrators. How on earth would they have been able to keep a vicious crowd of young men at 'arm length'? It is nothing but victim blaming. Shame on you Henriette Reker.

Igneococcus · 07/01/2016 09:20

nosuch on the German parenting site there is now the first posting that flatly denies anything happened at all.
The only reason I haven't gone beserk at her yet is that in on my phone ATM which refuses to do German.

Moreshabbythanchic · 07/01/2016 09:21

I totally agree with you pink, why should women be ostracised because some men are out of control, it is condoning their behaviour.

NoSuchThingAsTooMuchLemon · 07/01/2016 09:32

Igneococcus

Probably best to not waste your energy on that poster, let someone else go batshit on her. Anyone who denies and minimizes like that is likely beyond help anyways....

TwatTheNinja · 07/01/2016 09:42

Ohhh I've just come on to comment also about the what I heard on the news whilst driving this morning.

I am WTFShock at the German policeman's comment.
He said we can't police these situations, so women have to be aware and prepare themselves, when around areas of lots of drunk men.

Just how do you prepare yourself from being attracted by a large gang of men?
Or should women avoid going out? Y know because these events took place in and around a busy train station, let alone we would be putting ourselves in danger if we went to a pub? Or club as there will definitely be drunk men there.

I also wonder if it had been a thousand strong group of men, who were targeting small groups of men to physically attack. If they would maybe be able to police that?

I would think they would, as looked at it this way,

A thousand men on the streets attacking random male (and maybe anyone else women and children) passers by well could be a 'Riot' or 'civil unrest'

But no, its a case of soz because you are a woman, you'll just have to take it on the chin, try and avoid them, if not you are endangering yourself.

Sorry for the rant, the comment just absolutely floor me.