Several sexual assaults including at least three rapes were reported on the opening day of the annual street carnival in Cologne.
Authorities were supposedly already on high alert following multiple threats on Islamist propaganda networks in Germany calling on extremists to target the event. However, by 8 p.m. on Thursday local police had recorded 76 crimes and arrested 14 suspects.
Additionally, officers seized several weapons, including knives, following multiple spot checks.
Several sexual assaults including at least three rapes were reported on the opening day of the annual street carnival in Cologne.
Authorities were supposedly already on high alert following multiple threats on Islamist propaganda networks in Germany calling on extremists to target the event. However, by 8 p.m. on Thursday local police had recorded 76 crimes and arrested 14 suspects.
Additionally, officers seized several weapons, including knives, following multiple spot checks.
Bild reported that a total of 25 complaints of assault were filed, in addition to four sexual assaults, including three rapes.
A known suspect allegedly raped an 18-year-old woman around 6 p.m. inside a restaurant in the Zülpicher district, while another young woman was reportedly raped inside a portable toilet earlier in the day. No suspect was located.
In the early hours of Friday morning, a third victim, an 18-year-old female reported being raped, also inside a restroom.
Cologne police have issued safety guidelines for carnival-goers, warning them not to accept drinks from strangers and to only carry essential belongings that can be securely stored.
Other useful tips include calling emergency services immediately if faced with a dangerous situation, and not walking home alone.
Cologne has remained infamous for sexual violence against women following the horrific scenes on New Year’s Eve in 2015 — where the German Federal Criminal Police estimated that nearly 2,000 women had been sexually assaulted by primarily North African and Middle Eastern migrants.
https://rmx.news/article/crime-ridden-cologne-multiple-rapes-reported-on-opening-day-of-carnival/