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youth centre in Berlin’s Neukölln district is facing mounting backlash after it emerged that staff failed to report serious sexual assault allegations to police, reportedly out of concern that the suspects would be labelled ‘typical Muslims’.
The controversy centres on a youth recreation facility in Gropiusstadt, a district of Neukölln known for its large migrant population. According to reporting by German tabloid Bild, the case involves a Turkish Kurdish schoolgirl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a group of boys of Arab descent at the centre.
The scandal erupted after it was reported that employees at the facility did not notify authorities despite learning about the incidents. Instead, staff allegedly attempted to deal with the situation internally. According to sources cited by Bild, the reasoning was to avoid the suspects being publicly described as ‘typical Muslims’.
The case first came to light following an incident in January in which several boys allegedly assaulted the girl in a room of the youth centre. The situation reportedly ended when a staff member entered the room.
In the days that followed, the girl reportedly told youth centre employees that she had previously been raped at the same facility months earlier. The alleged incident took place in November in the garden area of the centre.
According to the report, the suspected perpetrator—a 17-year-old known by the nickname ‘Medi’—filmed the incident and later used the footage to blackmail the victim. The video reportedly circulated among other boys at the centre, leading to further harassment of the girl.
The report also says that similar troubling behaviour occurred at the youth centre for months prior to the case becoming public. Female visitors had allegedly complained about repeated incidents of harassment and unwanted physical contact.
Instead of contacting authorities, staff reportedly introduced internal measures. Girls attending the centre were allegedly given a safeword they could use if they felt threatened, while the door to the room where incidents had occurred was removed.
Reacting to the report, Berlin State Secretary for Youth and Family Falko Liecke (CDU) strongly criticized the handling of the case. ‘It’s outrageous that the Muslim perpetrators are apparently being protected here to avoid stigmatizing them, while the victim is being abandoned. This attitude is completely unacceptable,’ he told Bild, adding that authorities are examining whether child protection laws were violated.
The case eventually reached police only after the girl sought help outside the youth centre. A supporter informed her parents, who then approached the State Criminal Police Office with a police prevention officer. Investigators reportedly seized the suspect’s mobile phone as part of the probe.
Liecke has also accused local authorities of attempting to bury the case, noting that the youth welfare office had reportedly been informed about the situation weeks earlier but did not file a police report.
The controversy centres on a youth recreation facility in Gropiusstadt, a district of Neukölln known for its large migrant population. According to reporting by German tabloid Bild, the case involves a Turkish Kurdish schoolgirl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a group of boys of Arab descent at the centre.
The scandal erupted after it was reported that employees at the facility did not notify authorities despite learning about the incidents. Instead, staff allegedly attempted to deal with the situation internally. According to sources cited by Bild, the reasoning was to avoid the suspects being publicly described as ‘typical Muslims’.
The case first came to light following an incident in January in which several boys allegedly assaulted the girl in a room of the youth centre. The situation reportedly ended when a staff member entered the room.
In the days that followed, the girl reportedly told youth centre employees that she had previously been raped at the same facility months earlier. The alleged incident took place in November in the garden area of the centre.
According to the report, the suspected perpetrator—a 17-year-old known by the nickname ‘Medi’—filmed the incident and later used the footage to blackmail the victim. The video reportedly circulated among other boys at the centre, leading to further harassment of the girl.
The report also says that similar troubling behaviour occurred at the youth centre for months prior to the case becoming public. Female visitors had allegedly complained about repeated incidents of harassment and unwanted physical contact.
Instead of contacting authorities, staff reportedly introduced internal measures. Girls attending the centre were allegedly given a safeword they could use if they felt threatened, while the door to the room where incidents had occurred was removed.
Reacting to the report, Berlin State Secretary for Youth and Family Falko Liecke (CDU) strongly criticized the handling of the case. ‘It’s outrageous that the Muslim perpetrators are apparently being protected here to avoid stigmatizing them, while the victim is being abandoned. This attitude is completely unacceptable,’ he told Bild, adding that authorities are examining whether child protection laws were violated.
The case eventually reached police only after the girl sought help outside the youth centre. A supporter informed her parents, who then approached the State Criminal Police Office with a police prevention officer. Investigators reportedly seized the suspect’s mobile phone as part of the probe.
Liecke has also accused local authorities of attempting to bury the case, noting that the youth welfare office had reportedly been informed about the situation weeks earlier but did not file a police report.
