German Justice Minister: Cologne attacks planned in advance

[6chars]

Source: Deutsche Welle

Minister of Justice Heiko Maas has said he believes the sexual assaults in Cologne were 'coordinated and prepared' ahead of time. He also accused xenophobic groups of using the crimes to stir up hatred.

Germany's Justice Minister Heiko Maas was the latest high-profile politician to speak out about the string of sexual assaults in Cologne on Sunday. In an interview with the popular "Bild am Sonntag" newspaper, Maas voiced his suspicions that the crimes which have the whole country reeling were not the result of an opportunistic mob mentality but a thought-out, planned attack on the city's women.

"No one can tell me that it wasn't coordinated and prepared," the minister said. "My suspicion is that this specific date was picked, and a certain number of people expected. This would again add another dimension [to the crimes]."

The newspaper provided details from official police reports citing the use of social networks by some north African migrant communities to encourage their fellows to join them in the square between the Cologne train station and the cathedral, where the now hundreds of incidents of molestation and pick-pocketing took place.

Read more: http://www.dw.com/en/german-justice-minister-cologne-attacks-planned-in-advance/a-18969653

[6chars]

1. Also WAPO

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/germany-authorities-must-probe-cologne-assault-links/2016/01/10/126a929e-b795-11e5-85cd-5ad59bc19432_story.html

[Igel]

2. So far all they have is belief and suspicion.

Both are grounds for checking for evidence and looking for connections, but both are convenient because it means the incidents can be traced back to a number of people in the single digits that merely suggested others participate.

The alternative is un-liberal and feeds the domestic political opposition, so there's strong motivation to believe or suspect this to be true. Ultimately, there should be evidence.

Because this turns up in other years, other countries, and the common denominator is that alternative to be avoided.

It's one thing to try to get people like you to turn out for a gathering--who wants to be the only X in a group of celebrants? Social media, word of mouth, we've always said things like, "I'm going to X to party, you should come, too." It's quite another to try to get them to turn out for a celebration of sexual harassment and rape, "I'm going to X to grope random women without their permission and possibly to rape some of them, wanna tag along?"

[6chars]

3. From op - social networks played a role

"use of social networks by some north African migrant communities to encourage their fellows to join them in the square between the Cologne train station and the cathedral"

Now, it is not clear whether, as one might think, the point of this was just to have a party among those nostalgic for the New Year's Eve parties they enjoyed back in the old country, or whether there really was some malice aforethought.

Some of the participants seemed to have come well prepared, e.g., with crib notes containing translations from Arabic to German of what they expected would be useful phrases.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/632755/Cologne-German-police-sex-attacks-Migrants-Breasts

[smirkymonkey]

4. Sick.

Are they trying to cause a conflict on purpose I wonder? They must have known that this would not have gone over well with the native Germans

[Lizzie Poppet]

7. It's always a good idea to make yourself a despised minority in Germany.

Oh, wait...

[Hortensis]

17. Igel, my first action was a search for what connections

were turning up. Mostly only suspicions were reported then, but it was obvious that these attacks were not just amazing coincidences, not merely the bigoted notion being touted here and everywhere that it was dark-skinned Middle Eastern men just doing what men like them often do in crowds.

Sure, to bring charges against individuals for inciting criminal and terrorist behavior, hard evidence is needed. I've as sure as I can be, though, that this mere "belief and suspicion" lead from the beginning to a search for the hard evidence people working for antiterrorism agencies knew was there to be found.

One should not underestimate the depth of knowledge and the resources specialists have that the public does not. It's a widespread indulgence, but IMO a very stupid one.

[trillion]

43. Did you miss the report on WHO these attackers they arrested were? They came from several countries

including North Africa and America. And, I believe out of 32 arrested, 4 were Syrian.

[philosslayer]

5. This will just feed the right-wing hatred coming out of Germany

Hopefully the German authorities can clamp down on the hate speech and those trying to exploit this.

[6chars]

6. Should clamp down on all the destructive behavior

To the extent that there is criminal activity, they should crack down on individuals involved and on any networks that behind any of it.

[Lizzie Poppet]

8. Fortunately, they're busy clamping down on actual crimes.

Fee fees are not top priority.

Want to keep the right from power in Germany? Come down on the criminals involved in this like a ton of bricks. The politically-motivated police cover-up and victim-blaming bullshit from people like Recker and Merkel has already been a huge boost to Pegida, et al. Continued cluelessness (and spinelessness) from the current government will doom it at the next elections.

[philosslayer]

9. Hate speech IS an actual crime in Germany

n/t

[840high]

12. So is rape.

[philosslayer]

15. I think the authorities are able to deal with two types of crimes simultaneously

[branford]

26. Sadly, that has become debatable,

and not because of technical competence, but rather fear that widespread prosecutions of offenders within the migrant community will emphasize and justify voter fears of the migrants and prove electorally disastrous for the current government.

[Lizzie Poppet]

13. I'm well aware of that.

My use of the qualifier was an editorial. Obviously...

[christx30]

25. Cop comes to an intersection.

He sees 2 kids smoking pot in the parking lot across from a bank that is being robbed. The robbers have hostages, and one woman is on her knees with a gun to her head.
Who should the cop speak to first?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

29. He should scold the woman for being on her knees. Very undignified.

Or maybe he should get on the radio and ask for advice from Merkel.

[christx30]

30. And the woman isn't an

arm's length away from the guy with the gun at her head. And she's not sticking with her group.

I was bringing up priorities. But your thing works too.

[Odin2005]

21. "fee-fees" Nice use of Reactionary language, there

[Lizzie Poppet]

22. Don't play language police with me...

...you're spectacularly underqualified.

[christx30]

10. Want to feed the right?

Come down harder on speech, and treat them harsher than you treat rapists. It shows really messed up priorities. Then the right can say "We're the ones that want to stop the rapists. And the government is trying to silence us."

[840high]

11. They need to crack down on the culprits

of this disgusting behavior. Women need to be safe.

[Yo_Mama]

18. There isn't really a whole lot of rightwing hatred in Germany.

Pegida demos were routinely drawing larger counter-demonstrations.

But the police are not able to enforce the laws against refugees - partly because of government policy not to do so, and partly because they literally don't have the manpower or the jail cells to do it. They either have to build a lot of prisons or deport about five thousand people.

Germany has not been able to face this reality because of their aversion to anything that LOOKS like anything the Nazis did.

The Germans are in this situation solely because of their basic decency at this point, and I think you are not a good person for your claims here on this board with regard to this subject.

I don't like bigotry, prejudice or stereotypes in any form directed against any person or group. I have seen a lot of what I consider bigotry and prejudice from you. Not least your willingness to support the idea that the Koeln attacks were really the fault of the women who were targeted.

[philosslayer]

19. I take offense at the idea that I have demonstrated "bigotry and prejudice"

or in ANY way attempted to fault the women who were attacked. And you'll find no evidence of either.

[Yo_Mama]

27. Did you or did you not claim that Reker's advice about how women should protect themselves

was good?

I'll let others judge:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141305210

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027501864

[philosslayer]

28. I didn't "stand by" anything

This was breaking news, and a direct news article quoting the Mayor of Cologne. Please find an editorial statement of mine where I blamed anyone for being molested. And yes, i DO think women should protect themselves. I would add to the Mayor's advice that I think they should carry pepper spray.

[Hortensis]

20. Hope so too, Philo. Anti-Muslim bigots want us to believe

this is how Muslim men behave when they think they can get away with it, tho. Identifying and arresting a relatively extremely, extremely small number of criminals who perpetrated what is obviously a coordinated series of terrorism-motivated attacks will not further the goals of people who are bigoted against all Muslims.

[leftynyc]

41. And I hope they will

get every single perp in this crime in jail and then figure out a way to stop this in the future. I'd do all of this before I'd try and figure out how to continue to be pc while too many people seem determined to prove the haters right.

[MowCowWhoHow III]

14. The media reporting embargo about such mass events seems to be weakening

Exposing Major PC Cover-up in Sweden – Leading Daily Dagens Nyheter Refused to Write About Cologne-like Sex Crimes in Central Stockholm (10th Jan 2016)

STOCKHOLM The Cologne sex assault on New Year’s Eve, where groups of Arab and North African men groped more than a hundred German women, has shocked Europe this last week. But a very similar incident, with a large number of perpetrators and victims, took place in the Swedish capital last summer. That incident however was silenced by large Swedish newspapers and media companies, despite repeated attempts from police officers to contact journalists. This is how leading Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter tried to cover up a politically inconvenient sex assault story.

Nyheter Idag is now able to disclose in detail how major Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter deliberately covered up stories about widespread sexual abuse in central Stockholm in connection with a concert in the Kungsträdgården public square this August. “The mere suspicion that the abuse has been considered as difficult to describe involves a betrayal of the victims”,the newspaper writes about the event, almost six months later.

...

On Saturday August 15th, the nationally acclaimed and outspoken feminist artist Zara Larsson headlined the youth festival ‘We Are Sthlm” with a crowded concert in Kungsträdgården in central Stockholm. Thousands of young people were in attendance to take part in the event during the last summer nights of the year.

But for an unknown number of young girls the festival soon became a nightmare. Hordes of young men pressed against young girls, fondled and tried to cop a feel over and under skirts, pants and shirts. There were severe sexual assaults happening right in front of the stage, where artists such as Larsson and rapper OIAM performed.

More: http://nyheteridag.se/exposing-major-pc-cover-up-in-sweden-leading-daily-dagens-nyheter-refused-to-write-about-cologne-like-sex-crimes-in-central-stockholm/

[philosslayer]

16. The idea of a "media embargo" is curious, and upsetting

There are two options. Either the media doesn't consider a story newsworthy, or willfully decides not to report it for other reasons. I can understand if an isolated instance of groping isn't newsworthy. Lots of things happen in a large city. But I'm not sure why the media would willfully cover up large-scale criminal sexual assault.

Recent statistics demonstrate that Sweden now has the highest rape rate in all of Europe. Why the Swedish media would not cover the rape culture that has evolved is quite curious.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19592372

[Yo_Mama]

23. Because most of the rapes are committed by immigrant groups, and people like you,

who constantly claim that the truth is an attack, have caused a long-term silence on the facts of the matter.

As to why this is not reported, those who do report on the matter are tried and convicted. It is public policy in Sweden to ignore this type of thing:
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5195/sweden-rape

Also in Denmark, which is now breaking.

[philosslayer]

24. The Gatestone Institute...

Has John Bolton as its Chairman. Am I REALLY supposed to take this source seriously?

[Yo_Mama]

42. Bloomberg: Swedish Police Under Investigation For Sexual Assault Coverup

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-11/swedish-police-under-investigation-for-sexual-assault-cover-up

Cologne broke the dam all over northern Europe. But the problem has become worse over the last year.

In Copenhagen, the police were looking for a couple of rapists at the end of the year. They put out a request for information and got reports of many more rapes - the women hadn't even believed they were interested. They caught the original perps, and are now hunting for more. The country is considering tougher sentences for rape.

There is some history behind this:
http://www.amren.com/news/2012/07/rape-jihad-in-denmark-more-than-half-of-all-convicted-rapists-have-immigrant-backgrounds/

http://cphpost.dk/news14/local/copenhagen-declares-war-on-rapists.html
Hmm. Odd campaign. Why would Denmark launch an ad campaign saying that dressing "sexily" is not a crime???

I wonder:
http://beforeitsnews.com/eu/2013/03/copenhagen-imam-explains-islamic-rape-2512630.html

[christx30]

31. I'd love to see a chart that graphs

incidents of rape, and see if there is a correlation with the rise of immigrants/refugees.
I know I'm not the first to think of that.

[FLPanhandle]

32. You won't see it

Those countries stop publishing that data once the data was politically inconvenient.

[philosslayer]

33. An interesting theory

Do you have any evidence of this?

[FLPanhandle]

34. Google it.

They no longer publish the origin of rapists.

[philosslayer]

35. Ahh..."google it"

Because if it's on the internet it must be correct, right? I'd prefer an official source.

[Ace Rothstein]

36. The official sources, in this case, have shown that they cannot be trusted.

[philosslayer]

37. So let me get this straight....

According to some nebulous source on Google, the race or national origin of rapists in Sweden is no longer being tracked or reported. However , there is no corroboration of this from the Swedish government. YET, were supposed to believe the nebulous internet source. Got it. Thanks.

[Ace Rothstein]

38. Im solely speaking of Germany.

The authorities there deflected and downplayed the incidents and now there are 500+ victims.

[Dems to Win]

39. New report of NYE attack in Bielefelder, Germany

http://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article150798244/Hunderte-sollen-Bielefelder-Disco-attackiert-haben.html (in German)

A group of up to 500 Arab men repeatedly tried to storm a disco and sexually assaulted the women in the area.

There've also been reports of coordinated attacks in Hamburg and Stuttgart, as well.

[bdwker]

40. Well I'm sure the German people...

are celebrating their new friends they invited in.

Not too good.