Overview
- Hundreds of women were assaulted and robbed around Cologne’s main station on New Year’s Eve 2015, with reports identifying many perpetrators as men from North Africa.
- Police researcher Rafael Behr says nationality is an insufficient explanation, characterizing the dynamic as a “radically uprooted masculinity” rooted in social conditions.
- Criminologist Gina Wollinger highlights risk factors such as being young, male and alone, noting patriarchal attitudes’ role and that most refugees do not offend.
- Cologne police were overwhelmed that night; Behr describes a learning process marked by extensive 2017 reviews and a stronger internal error culture.
- Authorities say whether the assaults were prearranged remains unclear, while victim-support teams contacted more than 1,000 people and legal reforms criminalized sexual harassment and adopted a “no means no” standard as many women report feeling less safe in public.