Train conductor Serkan C. was beaten to death—and a presenter from German broadcaster WDR has a wild idea about why that might be. She draws a direct line from the crime to US President Donald Trump.
Serkan C., a train conductor for Deutsche Bahn, is dead—the train conductor was beaten to death while checking tickets on a train. The case has caused a lot of consternation – and apparently also has something to do with Donald Trump.
At least, that’s what listeners, readers and viewers of WDR are being told. In a TV interview about the death of the train conductor, the public broadcaster discusses the increasing brutalization of society with a sociologist. “We are seeing increasing levels of aggression, an increasing willingness to use violence against a wide range of professions in the public sector,” says sociologist Joris Steg. “We are witnessing a trend toward brutalization across society as a whole, which is increasingly erupting into violence.”
But the moderator’s third question reveals a very special connection: the US president could somehow be to blame for the tragic act. “Does this also have something to do with the overall situation?” asks the journalist, adding: “We are seeing Donald Trump and others around the world acting according to the law of the jungle and no longer relying on international law.”
This is a question that also seems to irritate the sociologist being interviewed—at least briefly. “Of course, there is no direct connection,” explains Steg. But: “We are also seeing globally that the law of the strongest prevails, that the willingness to use violence, including the willingness to wage war, prevails. And in societies, we are seeing, first and foremost, a disinhibition of language, especially in the digital space: disrespect, obscenities, insults, and threats are on the rise, especially on the internet.”
For the sociologist, there is a connection: “And when the boundaries of what can be said shift, the boundaries of what is considered legitimate action also shift at some point—and that verbal violence can even translate into raw physical violence.” However, he sees no connection between violence and origin.
According to Steg, such a connection cannot be confirmed. “What we do see is that almost all perpetrators are male, especially in cases of raw physical violence. But if we look at cases of violence against police officers, for example, alcohol or drugs are usually involved, and origin or cultural background does not play a major role,” says the sociologist.