A sex offender has been harassing women for weeks at Berlins’s Free University (FU), but victims are being urged not to alert the police over fears of racism. This is the advice of the university’s left-wing-dominated General Students’ Committee (AStA), which urges women not to take matters further in an e-mail sent to all student initiatives and university groups, as reported by the Morgenpost newspaper.
The AStA’s concern, however, seems to be less for the well-being of the women and more for the perpetrator, who reportedly has a migration background.
“We would like to point out that police operations for people affected by racism are generally associated with an increased risk of experiencing police violence,” Morgenpost quoted from the AStA letter, arguing that most officers are “not sufficiently trained in dealing with psychologically exceptional situations.”
The letter further says, “Therefore such engagements often ‘by unnecessary use of force are escalated.'” The paper concludes that “the concern here is obviously less for the potential victim than for the perpetrator.”
For several weeks now, the man in Dahlem, near Free University, has repeatedly sexually harassed women, threatening them and stalking them. In such a case, the victims should alert the security service of the university or the social psychiatric service, advises the AStA. However, the latter can only apprehend an individual with their consent and thus is an unhelpful suggestion. Despite an intervention, the sex offender appears to resist any attempts to change his ways. Apparently, there was at least one conversation between students and the alleged sex offender, but he has shown no willingness to stop harassing women.
“Sometimes it is hardly possible to talk to him,” the newspaper quotes from the circular email.
In an initial reaction to the article, the Berlin police tweeted, “Anyone who is in danger or affected by a crime or becomes aware of an emergency situation of others should not let anything or anyone stop them from acting. Call us – dial 110! We are here for you.”
