Mass sexual assaults in Cologne on New Years Eve

[Cellardoor1]

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

Basically BOOP, yes.

There are also suggestions of increasing number of police force at events and more CCTV cameras.
Karneval Is sucha massive thing in that area, this is going to be a difficult time for everybody involved.

Sorry BOOP I was answering your penultimate post

Ah - thanks for the translation Onthephone!

At least it's advice! Had images of the stone ages making a return there for a minute!

polen the article you linked to is interesting. I would translate 'verhaltensregeln' as 'codes of conduct'.

They talk about a "Verhaltenskatalog" a catalogue of codes of conduct....... only the Germans.... sorry.

Anyway on a more serious tone, they advise women and young girls who go to the Carnival (February I believe) to stay in groups and to keep a physical distance to strangers. Mhm, that kind of defies the whole idea of Weiberfastnacht, the Thursday before Carnival where women go around, kiss strange men and cut their ties with scissors . This should be interesting.

Sorry onthephone I'm typing fast and furious!

What did you mean "yes" to - that you think that's a half baked response as well?

Yes to its what women and police should do and they have no idea who these men are.

I see nothing at all that suggests anyone has been arrested, or even that they hope to arrest anyone

We'll all have to learn to wear a burka cover up and make sure we're accompanied by a keeper male relative whenever we go out.

Welcome to the future of Europe

"It seems utterly utterly half baked to me.How can you keep "all strangers at arms length" in a crowd of 100 sexually aggressive men? And the victims have specifivally said they stayed with their friends but were still assualted. It seems like this "advice" bears no actual relationship to what went on.Nor does the statement seem to include any really firm and clear condemnation of what went on or that it will not be tolerated.I have to say that if I were a women living in Cologne I'd be mighty cross about that"

Bitoutofpractice I agree with your post 100%!

Oh I see.

You live there onthephone - what do you think of that as a response to this? Especially bearing in mind this happened five days ago and still they have no idea!

I'm a woman living in Cologne and I'm fucking disgusted!

The police can't stop it, they have no idea what happened, they have no idea who these men are, they have no idea of there'll be a repeat in the future and in the meantime we should try to stay away from bad men.

Fucking fumming, as a famous MNer once said...

Thanks Onthephone Bloody hell, grim

Pink I did not know about the Karnival in detail, esp the Weiberfastnacht. It sounds like fun. Misogynist fuckers cannot be allowed to ruin this

It's been many years since I've been home for Fasching (karneval for us Bavarians) but I'm sure it has only got busier since. There is no way you can keep anyone at arm length at an event.

Haha great minds BOOP

I am going to go to it with my pepper spray and baseball bat, I'm so mad

Absolutely true Ig (sorry on iPad can't scroll back for your name)

It's RAMMED at Karneval, I don't go in anyway as I don't like crowds, but the idea that the police would have ANY idea if something like this happened again, let alone be able to do something about it, is a joke.

Indeed.

I feel so outraged by this! Just talked about it to DP and he he just amazed that this has received no coverage at all in the UK. What the actual fuck is going on?

Men can assualt, rape and attack women on the streets of a major European city with impunity and apparently no come back and no fear of arrest or punishment. And it is the women who need to change their behaviour to prevent this happeneing again.

Yep "fucking disgusting" really does sum this up doesn't it?

I'm wondering how they know how many of these men there were.

Nearly twenty years ago there were "no go" areas of European cities for "western" women - molenbeek (ring any bells with anyone who keeps up with the news) was a neighbourhood off limits. We used to pay a hefty premium to drink in bars - knowing that these men could not afford to get in. You know where you stand with your common-or-garden European misogynist.

Would rape alarms help - they used to be out years ago!

Also recall hearing that rather than shouting Rape, when in danger, that you should shout FIRE, as people are more likely to respond? Not sure if that advice has been debunked since!

twitter.com/hashtag/cologne

Starting to get more traffic now. It will trend in an hour or two I reckon

I used to waitress during Fasching when i was a student and I earned enough to keep me going for several months after that but it's not something you can do if you don't like body contact with complete strangers. ItIt's quite unbelievably crowded.

Although, in a noisy carnival atmosphere, you wouldn't stand much chance of being heard if you're surrounded by a bunch of animals.

There has been a mass groping event here in Qatar where I live. Apparently the lazy river ride at the local aqua park got completely rammed one day and all the girls reportedly had their bikini areas groped in the melee and were trapped by the crowd and completely terrified. The perpetrators weren't
Qataris, I hasten to add, but migrant workers of various nationalities.

I honestly think that some of the perpetrators would assume that you were either 'up for it' if dressed in swimwear, or deserved to be punished in that way for dressing so 'provocatively'.

No, you wouldn't be heard, but 20 years ago when I was right in the middle of it, there was always someone there to help if some drunk got too pushy.