The Rape Story

I always caution folks to wait out on stories a week or two....to see what develops.  This is especially true with the rape story out of Freiburg (a German city to the far SW of Germany).  I'll refer to most of the story going to a ZDF update (Channel Two, public TV). 

So, it's been in the top ten news for almost a week now.  Back in mid-October, this German female (said to be 18 years old)....was raped after leaving a Freiburg disco.  Part of the story revolves around the fact that she'd consumed a fair amount of drugs (no one ever mentions what drugs).  Rapist number one (who likely knew her and may have some connection to the drug episode) raped her in the bushes near the disco, and left her there.

So, rapist number one goes and tells several others (they all happen to be Syrian).  Some news accounts suggest up to eight other men came out to the area where the woman laid, and raped her as well.

This original rapist?  Well....cops say that he's been accused of at least one prior rape.

The cops?  They have DNA evidence which suggests possibly two other men involved.

All of this has led to some German folks suggesting a sexual orientation course for male immigrants on how to respect women.  The odds of this being mandated?  It might be pushed in one or two German states, but I seriously doubt that the Bundestag would want to engage and make this a national policy.

For me, I see this as a two-part story.  The rape by the group is serious enough, and most probably will be convicted and see at least a year in prison.  But the second part of this story is the one which won't be discussed much.....increased drug usage in Germany.

In the late 1970s when I arrived in Germany....the only real drug of use that you might see is marijuana.  Today?  There are literally dozens of drugs on the party or disco scene, and you could easily find yourself wasted and laying on the street or behind some bushes. 

Anger over the immigrant and migrant part of the story?  Yes, you can find that a fair number of Germans read over the episode and are frustrated.