Wide political controversy after mass harassment at a swimming pool!
The police and the public prosecutor's office in the city of Gelnhausen in the German state of Hesse are continuing their investigation into a case of mass sexual harassment that occurred on June 22 at an outdoor swimming pool, where eight girls aged between 11 and 16 reported that four men physically harassed them inside the pool. The girls informed the staff who in turn contacted the police. The suspects are four Syrian men aged between 18 and 28.
The public prosecutor's office in Hanau confirmed the continuation of the investigation into the charge of sexual harassment, but it has not issued any additional details about the case so far. On the other hand, the criminal office in the state of Hesse announced that the number of recorded sexual crimes in the state's swimming pools during the year 2024 reached 74 cases, and the authorities succeeded in clarifying 82% of them. Among 57 suspects identified, 55 were men, and the percentage of non-Germans among them was about 60%. Nevertheless, the office clarified that swimming pools are not a hotspot for crime in the state.
At the national level, data from the "Bundeskriminalamt" showed that Germany recorded 423 cases of sexual harassment in public swimming pools and water sites during 2024. The police were able to identify the perpetrators in 81% of these cases. Of the 367 suspects, 365 were men. The number of non-German suspects was 237, which is about 65% of the total, most of whom were adults over the age of 21.
The incident sparked a wide political debate, as "Thorsten Stolz", the district administrator of "Main-Kinzig-Kreis", called for strict measures against the accused, emphasizing that if the charges are proven, they should be returned to their home country and not allowed to stay in Germany. At the same time, Stolz warned against generalizing about all individuals with immigrant backgrounds, stressing that millions of people of foreign origin, including many Syrians, live peacefully, respect the laws, and contribute to German society.
In a related context, the AfD party bloc in the Hesse state parliament has called for an emergency session of the internal committee to discuss the incident, and has submitted an official request containing 43 questions directed to the government regarding security measures in swimming pools and the details available about the crime.