German Imam blames Cologne rape victims; 'they wore perfume'

[branford]

50. It's unclear if carrying such a story, by itself or with similar stories,

would result in prosecution or conviction under Germany's (or much of Europe's) anti-hate speech laws.

However, the fact that they might or could potentially be prosecuted is in itself a very strong disincentive to publish.

I also noted the very different political and media culture in Europe. These stories strongly favor the right-of-center political parties, many of whom are quite radical, and many media outlets will kill or downplay stories simply to protect political allies in liberal governments in a manner far more egregious than anything in the USA. However, as has become apparent when the stories can no longer be suppressed and reach a critical popular mass, the governments face even larger criticisms of cover-ups along with the initial incompetence.