Cologne Attacks: Understanding The Reasons Behind The Violence

The Cologne attacks, also known as the 2015-16 New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Germany, refer to a series of sexual assaults and robberies that took place during New Year's Eve celebrations in the German city of Cologne. The attacks primarily targeted women and were carried out by groups of men, mostly of Arab or North African origin. The incidents sparked widespread outrage and had far-reaching repercussions in Germany and beyond.

The attacks involved approximately 1,200 women being sexually assaulted and robbed by groups of men, who were described as aggressive and drunk. The men were reported to have surrounded and groped women, with some victims reporting rapes. The scale and nature of the attacks shocked Germany and led to a crisis meeting by the Mayor of Cologne, Henriette Reker, and discussions about a possible cover-up by the authorities and media due to the initial delay in reporting the attacks and the perpetrators' backgrounds.

The attacks fuelled debates about migration policy, cultural clashes, and the treatment of refugees in Germany. They also resulted in tightened laws related to asylum and sexual assault, with the German Parliament passing stricter legislation to facilitate prosecutions and make it easier to deport foreigners convicted of crimes.

The role of refugees in the attacks

The Cologne attacks, which took place during the 2015-2016 New Year's Eve celebrations, saw approximately 1,200 women sexually assaulted by large groups of men. The perpetrators were identified by officials as Muslim men of Arab or North African origin.

The attacks caused a deep imprint in Germany and had a profound impact on the rest of Europe, fuelling a sense of crisis and widely held suspicions that the German establishment was not being transparent with the public. The consensus in favour of accepting 1.1 million refugees was already fraying, and the country became sharply divided.

The German public broadcaster ZDF faced criticism for not reporting on the incidents until four days after the attacks. The broadcaster admitted it was a "clear misjudgement" and that it had been "overwhelmed with hate and anger". The media was also accused of spreading misinformation and contributing to an anti-refugee sentiment in Germany.

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, there was confusion about who the perpetrators were. While victims and witnesses described the attackers as "North African", "Arab", "dark-skinned", and "foreign", the German government and Cologne police initially speculated that the attacks might have been organised but later denied this. The police chief suggested that the perpetrators had come from countries where such sexual assaults by groups of men against women are common.

By April 2016, statistics indicated that out of the 153 identified suspects in Cologne who were convicted of sexual offences and other crimes, two-thirds were originally from Morocco or Algeria, 44% were asylum-seekers, another 12% were likely to have been in Germany illegally, and 3% were underage unaccompanied refugees. By July 2016, the police stated that half of the 120 identified suspects of sexual offences had arrived in Germany during 2015, and most of those were from North Africa.

The German government faced intense pressure to limit the number of refugees arriving in the country. The events in Cologne led to a tightened asylum policy, with the German Interior Minister pushing to place Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia on the list of "safe countries of origin", enabling the swifter deportation of illegal immigrants. The German parliament also approved Asylpaket II, a list of changes to asylum law that included quicker deportation of rejected asylum seekers and criminals and a suspension of the right to family reunification for certain refugees.

While the attacks caused a backlash against refugees, commentators were quick to urge people not to jump to conclusions. The Cologne Refugee Council Director noted that Germans of North African descent or the children of guest workers could also fit witness descriptions. The justice minister also warned against linking the crimes to the issue of migrants and refugees, stating that "the law does not discriminate regarding a person's origin or passport. All are equal before the law".

The impact of the attacks extended beyond Germany, with similar incidents reported in other European cities such as Stockholm, Helsinki, Kalmar, Zurich, and Salzburg.

The police's response to the attacks

The police response to the Cologne attacks has been the subject of much criticism and scrutiny. The initial police report described the evening as having a "relaxed atmosphere" and "celebrations [that were] largely peaceful". However, this was later acknowledged to be incorrect, with the police chief of Cologne, Wolfgang Albers, eventually admitting that the statement was "wrong".

The police were also criticised for their slow response to the attacks, with reports that they failed to protect a policewoman from being publicly groped and that they prevented victims from seeking refuge inside the nearby train station. There were also accusations that the police withheld information about the attacks, particularly regarding the origin of the suspects. Albers was later removed from his post "to restore public trust in the police".

In the aftermath of the attacks, the police presence outside the station next to Cologne Cathedral was increased. Police also asked for videos of the event to help identify suspects. By April 2016, authorities had identified 153 suspects in Cologne, two-thirds of whom were from Morocco or Algeria, 44% were asylum-seekers, 12% were likely to have been in Germany illegally, and 3% were underage unaccompanied refugees.

The German government has since examined changing the law to make it easier to deport those convicted of sexual assault.

The media's portrayal of the attacks

The media portrayal of the Cologne attacks was heavily criticised. The German public broadcaster ZDF did not mention the incidents until four days after the attacks, admitting later that this was a "clear misjudgement".

The media was accused of not adequately reporting the events to avoid talking about the controversial topic of the suspects' ethnicities. The police also faced criticism for not mentioning the attackers' ethnicities in their first press release about the sexual assaults. The media was also accused of a cover-up, with the perception that the ethnic background of the assailants had been reported too late. This led to anger and accusations on Twitter and other social media sites, with some suggesting that the media had been engaged in a cover-up to avoid encouraging anti-immigrant or anti-refugee sentiments.

The media portrayal of the attacks also provoked an increasingly discriminating discourse among the population, inducing the public perception of refugees as violent 'Others' who do not fit German culture or European values. This led to a 'global Islamophobia' with xenophobic articles about the night available in almost every country.

The media was also accused of racism. The German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung published an illustration of a black arm reaching up between white female legs, which was criticised as racist by other media outlets and journalists. The German magazine Focus showed a naked blonde white woman, stained by black handprints, with the text: "After the sex attacks by migrants: Are we still tolerant or already blind?". This was denounced as an implicit racist message.

The media was also blamed for provoking a hardening of attitudes towards migrants and refugees. U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump tweeted: "Germany is going through massive attacks to its people by the migrants". The Belgian immigration minister ordered migrants to take courses in "respect for women".

The impact on Germany's migrant policy

The Cologne attacks had a profound impact on Germany's migrant policy. The events of New Year's Eve in Cologne, Germany, left a deep imprint in Germany and had a profound impact on the rest of Europe. The consensus in favour of accepting 1.1 million refugees was already fraying, but the country was now deeply uneasy and sharply divided. The boldness of the assaults and the sense of a powerless state haunted the victims, and what was also lost was trust—the essential glue in any society. The events in Cologne and other cities led to a widely held suspicion that the political elite was not being candid with the German public.

The German government was examining changing the law to make it easier to deport those convicted of sexual assault, but it was unclear how a refugee who had come from Syria could be deported back there. Pressure was building on Chancellor Angela Merkel to limit the number of refugees arriving. Some of her political allies had already demanded that. Her political authority had been weakened by these events, and she was under intense pressure at home.

The fallout from the attacks included an asylum policy overhaul and a chillier climate towards refugees. German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière pushed through an existing plan to place Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia on the list of "safe countries of origin", a legal category that enables the swifter deportation of illegal immigrants. In February 2016, the German parliament voted to approve Asylpaket II, a list of changes to asylum law that included quicker deportation of rejected asylum seekers and criminals and a two-year suspension of the right to family reunification for certain refugees.

The German government's response to the attacks also included increased police surveillance. By mid-January 2016, police presence had been increased in Große Freiheit in Hamburg. Before the 2016 Carnival events, the police in Cologne had prepared a force of over 2,500 officers, more than three times the number of the previous year. On the first night of the Düsseldorf Carnival of 2016, the police presence was also doubled compared to the year before.

The impact of the attacks extended beyond Germany's borders. An EU plan to implement quotas to relocate refugees across member states had failed so far, and only a few hundred refugees had actually been moved. Turkey had been asked to curb the number of migrants entering Europe, and senior European officials were frustrated with the lack of evidence of migrants being turned around at the Turkish border.

The impact on German society

A loss of trust in the system

There was a widely held suspicion that the political elite was not being candid with the German public. The consensus in favour of accepting 1.1 million refugees was already fraying, and the country was now deeply uneasy. Volker Bouffier, vice-president of Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right CDU party, said: "Cologne has changed everything. People are now doubting."

A loss of trust in the police

There was also a sense that the police were not to be trusted. There was an inexplicably bland initial police report describing the evening in Cologne as "relaxed" with "celebrations largely peaceful". It was only on social media that news of the assaults first emerged. The police were also accused of failing to protect women, with officers present but unable to stop the attacks. The police chief said victims were slow to file complaints, but some victims accused the police of ignoring their claims.

A loss of trust in the media

The media was also accused of a cover-up, with reports that the ethnic background of the assailants was not mentioned for several days. The German public-service broadcaster ZDF did not mention the incidents until four days after the attacks, later admitting it was a "clear misjudgement". In parts of social media, the idea of a "lying press" took root.

A rise in anti-immigrant sentiment

Refugees quickly got blamed for the attacks, and this fuelled a sense of crisis. The main euro-sceptic party, Alternativ fuer Deutschland, warned against the disintegration of German culture. Angela Merkel found herself under intense pressure at home, with calls for her to limit the number of refugees arriving. The events also led to a tightening of asylum policy, with Germany approving changes to asylum law that included quicker deportation of rejected asylum seekers and criminals.

A rise in sales of self-defence products

More Germans also apparently felt a need to defend themselves, with a sharp rise in sales of non-lethal weapons, mainly pepper spray.

A rise in crime against asylum seekers

At the same time, the number of crimes committed against asylum seekers and their homes was rising. On 21 February 2016, a refugee shelter in the town of Bautzen burned down, with local residents cheering as the building went up in smoke. Two days later, 100 people blocked a bus carrying newly arrived refugees to their accommodation, harassing those inside.

A rise in anti-refugee sentiment

The anti-refugee sentiment also extended to the carnival season, with one city deciding to call off the carnival parade entirely, fearing misbehaviour by men from foreign backgrounds. An Iraqi refugee said: "Before you know it, they'll be calling us criminals."

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