Mass Assault in Cologne, Mayor blames female victims ?!

[icehorse]

Apparently women in Cologne are now being advised to follow a "code of conduct":

http://news.yahoo.com/mayor-cologne-just-blamed-hundreds-011347213.html

Anyone want to defend the mayor's statement?

 

[Mycroft]

Freedom™
Do as well tell you.

 

[Revoltingest]

I saw some odd & unproductive advice being offered, but where did she blame the victims?

I heard of this on the news (NPR), & it's different from the claims in the OP link.....
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35231046
It seems they've a problem with non-Germans they aren't directly facing.

 

[George-ananda]

Will the day come when officials recommend a Burka to increase safety from male advances??

<sarcasm with a point>

 

[Sunstone]

Maybe Reker is just trying to position herself to run for office in the US on the Republican ticket.

 

[Revoltingest]

Perhaps the mayor's advice to others is the result of (reaction to) her being stabbed (almost dying) in an assault last year?
She'd been active in accepting & assimilating refugees.
Could it be that she's inartfully trying to distract from their involvement in these assaults?

 

[columbus]

I saw some odd & unproductive advice being offered, but where did she blame the victims?

The linked article read more like a "evil gubbimint" op-ed than news, to me.
Tom

 

[Revoltingest]

The linked article read more like a "evil gubbimint" op-ed than news, to me.
Tom

I thought I detected some histrionic spin.

 

[Sunstone]

There seems to be some evidence -- but nevertheless still inconclusive -- that the assaults were organized and perpetrated by young Muslim men. If that turns out to be the case, then the attacks could have far reaching political repercussions, few if any of which are likely to be good.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35231046

 

[Ingledsva]

From the BBC -

"What is particularly disturbing is that the attacks appear to have been organised. Around 1,000 young men arrived in large groups, seemingly with the specific intention of carrying out attacks on women."

"Police in Hamburg are now reporting similar incidents on New Year's Eve in the party area of St Pauli. One politician says this is just the tip of the iceberg."

"A British woman visiting Cologne said fireworks had been thrown at her group by men who spoke neither German nor English. "They were trying to hug us, kiss us. One man stole my friend's bag," she told the BBC. "

"A policeman who was outside Cologne station during the New Year's Eve trouble told the city's Express news website that he had detained eight suspects. "They were all asylum seekers, carrying copies of their residence certificates," he said."

Attacks like these have been reported in several countries over the last couple of years. -

In most cases by men with Islamic backgrounds - that believe they have the right to molest and rape women that aren't at home.

And of course if some are getting away with it, - others join in.

*

 

[Smart_Guy]

1,000 men against 80 women? Oh God!

My English is failing me again. Is she blaming them? The article seems to tell she's calling for spreading awareness and prevention measures like watching out for suspicious people. Seems like a general advice to me. Unless I missed something? I mean, it could be a good idea that anyone would not just stick on people or pick a fight with drunkards.

 

[Crypto2015]

Many of the refugees (up to 20% according to some statistics) adhere to an ideology that is either that of ISIS or very close to that of ISIS. These people consider themselves invaders in the name of Islam. Non-Muslim women are liable to be taken as sex slaves.

 

[Thanda]

1,000 men against 80 women? Oh God!

My English is failing me again. Is she blaming them? The article seems to tell she's calling for spreading awareness and prevention measures like watching out for suspicious people. Seems like a general advice to me. Unless I missed something? I mean, it could be a good idea that anyone would not just stick on people or pick a fight with drunkards.

To Some people, giving women advice on how to keep safe is "victim-blaming". Yet even I, a man, know there are certain areas not to go to at certain times of the night and there are other things one must do in order to avoid being a target.

 

[Flankerl]

To Some people, giving women advice on how to keep safe is "victim-blaming". Yet even I, a man, know there are certain areas not to go to at certain times of the night and there are other things one must do in order to avoid being a target.

So women shouldn't go to the main train station of Köln which is directly next to the Cathedral at New Years night which has CCTV and police everywhere even if they are in a group or have a male escort?
Okay.

You know Germany isn't the US. The no-go areas are usually the clear Muslim areas of the city, not the main places of attraction.

 

[Debater Slayer]

To Some people, giving women advice on how to keep safe is "victim-blaming". Yet even I, a man, know there are certain areas not to go to at certain times of the night and there are other things one must do in order to avoid being a target.

This "advice" usually fails to address the disease and only attempts to curb the symptoms, and it does so in a miserably sexist way that more often than not effectively results in blaming women for getting assaulted.

 

[Thanda]

So women shouldn't go to the main train station of Köln which is directly next to the Cathedral at New Years night which has CCTV and police everywhere even if they are in a group or have a male escort?
Okay.

You know Germany isn't the US. The no-go areas are usually the clear Muslim areas of the city, not the main places of attraction.

This "advice" usually fails to address the disease and only attempts to curb the symptoms, and it does so in a miserably sexist way that effectively results in blaming women for getting assaulted.

I'm not saying anything of the sort. I am merely pointing out that it has become clear to me that some people hate women being given advice about their safety. This even though police are always giving advice to citizens of both sexes about various ways to keep safe. E.g. Getting very drunk while out at night has landed many women into trouble. And yet when advice is given to women to not drink so much it is viewed as "victim blaming" and an attempt to control women's movements. Which is ridiculous.

We live in a dangerous world. And we can't always control what other people do. But we can limit their potential to harm us by making wise decisions.

 

[Debater Slayer]

I'm not saying anything of the sort. I am merely pointing out that it has become clear to me that some people hate women being given advice about their safety. This even though police are always giving advice to citizens of both sexes about various ways to keep safe. E.g. Getting very drunk while out at night has landed many women into trouble. And yet when advice is given to women to not drink so much it is viewed as "victim blaming" and an attempt to control women's movements. Which is ridiculous.

We live in a dangerous world. And we can't always control what other people do. But we can limit their potential to harm us by making wise decisions.

Pointing out that the victim should or shouldn't have done X or Y instead of focusing on the perpetrator of the crime does amount to victim-blaming. It's like saying, "Yes, I know you got assaulted by a violent criminal, but you are at fault for not avoiding him in the first place."

 

[Flankerl]

I'm not saying anything of the sort. I am merely pointing out that it has become clear to me that some people hate women being given advice about their safety. This even though police are always giving advice to citizens of both sexes about various ways to keep safe. E.g. Getting very drunk while out at night has landed many women into trouble. And yet when advice is given to women to not drink so much it is viewed as "victim blaming" and an attempt to control women's movements. Which is ridiculous.

We live in a dangerous world. And we can't always control what other people do. But we can limit their potential to harm us by making wise decisions.

Except in this case the perpetrators were the drunk ones.

So one arms length distance to someone you don't know during the upcoming Carnival? I am quite sure the people harassed, sexually assaulted or raped tried that on New Years night. The problem is that the perpetrators just came nearer.

You know Reker got elected because she got stabbed by a madman last year. She probably should've just kept her distance...

 

[Jumi]

Expect fast growth of far right groups with increased public support in Germany. In Finland some far right groups have started patrolling streets for "public safety" after news like this. This could go wrong quickly.

 

[Thanda]

Pointing out that the victim should or shouldn't have done X or Y instead of focusing on the perpetrator of the crime does amount to victim-blaming. It's like saying, "Yes, I know you got assaulted by a violent criminal, but you are at fault for not avoiding him in the first place."

Except the mayor wasn't addressing those women was she? She was addressing the city so as to help others avoid a similar circumstance. E.g. Right after a high-jacking police will often use that time to remind motorists to be aware always be alert and aware of what is happening around them - is this, to you, victim blaming?